Mirror, Mirror Part II
by Phantom Rosabelle
Summary: When Ashley saves Andros at a terrible cost to herself, Andros must fight with a team of ruthless vigilante rangers to save her and defeat an old enemy... Andros/Ashley. Warning: rape.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine

_A/N: _ _I know I said I'd wait until I finished Unsealed Fate to put up Mirror, Mirror Part 2, but I like this story. And since I can't seem to stick to just one story, when I'm done with Unsealed Fate, I'll put up another one. It's even semi-fluffy. :P_

Chapter 1

**The Megaship**

"Almost home," TJ said, checking their coordinates. "Two, three more hours."

"Two hours, twenty-seven minutes, and eight seconds," Deca informed him in a show of technological superiority.

"Thanks, Deca," he said. There really was no other answer, not if he wanted to continue living aboard the Megaship. Although, now he didn't need to. He grinned.

"Hey, Carlos, Teej," Cassie said. "Check this out."

TJ leaned over Carlos to glance at Cassie's scanners. They showed unusual energy readings, which Deca pinpointed as coming from one of the habitable, but deserted planets in the system.

"Deca, tell Andros to get in here," TJ ordered. It was probably nothing serious, stranded travelers who had been trying to escape the war most likely. Andros appeared several minutes later, Ashley on his heels. TJ snorted. "What have you two been up to?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Andros did a credible job of maintaining an innocent expression, or would have if Ashley hadn't broken down laughing. He grinned. "Did you want something?"

"The energy readings for this planet are too high," TJ said. "Deca detects several life forms. Should we check it out?"

"Probably," Andros said. "Anything suggest otherwise?"

"It's safe," Carlos said. "At least the planet itself is."

"Let's go, then," Andros decided. "Deca?"

"Course altered," Deca announced.

"I'll go see what it is," Andros said as they landed. "You guys stay here."

"How come **you** get to go play hero?" Zhane protested, poking his head into the room, Karone beside him. "What are we doing, by the way?"

"Strange energy readings," Carlos informed him.

"Oh," Zhane said. "Never mind, Andros can go play hero."

"I have no objections to that," TJ said. "I'm feeling a little lazy right now."

"Same here," Cassie said.

"Yeah, me too," Carlos agreed.

"I'm going with you," Ashley said, slipping her arm through Andros's. "Someone has to keep you out of trouble."

"No offense, Ash," TJ said. "But I'm not sure you're the right person for that."

"Shut up." Ashley stuck her tongue out at TJ, and Andros grinned.

"You guys need your morphers reactivated?" Carlos asked.

"Nah," Ashley said. "The communicators are fine. Evil's gone, remember?"

"Okay, then," Carlos said. "Deca, initiate teleportation sequence. Have fun."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Arwennicole:** Thanks. Here's more. :P_

_**the-power-of-love:** You're right, they should have. :P_

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** Nice taunting. :P_

_**Red Ranger Chick: ** Because it's not?_

_**HollyShadow:** Thanks. Here's the next chapter. :P_

_**DizneeDol:** Thanks, and I technically updated twice in one day. :P_

_**Melissa:** No, I need to be writing a million things at once. :P_

Chapter 2

**The planet surface**

"See anything?" Andros asked, scanning the horizon with a hand shading his eyes as the sweltering sun beat down on them.

"Nothing," Ashley said beside him. She shrugged off her jacket, and found that it did little good to relieve the intense heat. "You sure this is the right planet?"

"I'm sure," Andros said. "And if it wasn't, Deca would never admit to it."

"Wait, I see something," Ashley said, pointing. Andros followed her gaze, and was nearly blinded by a bright silver glint in the distance.

"Do you think that's the ship?" he asked.

"Let's find out," Ashley said. She started walking and he followed. As they got closer, the silver glint took a different shape, and Andros reached out, grabbing Ashley's arm, pulling her to a stop. She looked over her shoulder at him. "What?"

"That's not a ship," Andros said in a low voice. "That's a mirror."

"A mirror?" Ashley repeated skeptically. "Don't those have to be in space?"

"If it's a space mirror," Andros said, a knot slowly forming in his stomach, growing larger as he kept talking. He couldn't help feeling that they should be running as fast as they could in the other direction. "Some mirrors appear on planet surfaces... Ash, I think we should go back now."

"Scared?" Ashley teased him. "Aw, come on. Let's go through it. What's the worst that could happen? We've already seen our future. We were happy."

"But there was something that happened," Andros said anxiously. "Something that they didn't want to talk about."

"Don't worry so much," Ashley said. She started walking again, and pulled on his arm insistently. Andros gave in and went along, though the feeling that something was very wrong didn't dissapate.

The mirror, a swirling silver vortex, stood out clearly against the reddish dust that made up the planet's surface. As they neared it, Andros saw a flash of sudden movement, and turned, but saw nothing. Ashley laughed at him when it happened several more times.

"Ashley," Andros hissed. "I think we're being followed."

"No, I think you're being paranoid," Ashley said. "I don't see anything. Besides, didn't we come here to **find** people?"

"Ash, we should go back now," Andros said firmly, raising his communicator to his mouth, intending to tell Deca to get them out of there. The familiar noise of a laser blaster being powered up stopped him cold. Within seconds, Andros and Ashley were surrounded by a ring of dark figures. One slowly advanced towards them, and Andros felt his heart sink as he recognized the dark gray armor. It was Arrow.

"It seems the red ranger walked right into our little trap," he sneered.

"What are you doing here?" Andros snapped. "What do you want now?"

"Revenge," Arrow said, stepping closer. Andros kept his eyes trained on the blaster, which slowly shifted from being pointed at him to Ashley, and back. Taking a step forward, Andros put himself between the blaster and Ashley.

_"Ashley, run!"_ he shouted at her telepathically.

_"To where?"_ she responsed._"I'm not leaving you."_

"May we chain them now?" one of the guards asked. Arrow shook his head, and laughed.

"There is no need, Killian," he said. He turned to Andros and Ashley. "Even if you could get away, Red Ranger, you wouldn't leave your lover behind."

Killian nodded, his cold blue eyes appreciating the simplicity of it. "What would you like us to do with them?"

_"Ready?"_ Andros asked as Arrow considered.

_"Yes,"_ Ashley answered distantly, managing to keep the fear out of her voice. They were gravely outnumbered, and they had no morphers and no weapons.

_"Now!"_ Andros shouted, and as one, they attacked. Arrow fired, and Andros cried out as he was burned with laser fire. Ashley managed to knock the blaster away, leaving Arrow weaponless, but not defenseless. In seconds, the guards had come to his aid, subduing Andros and Ashley quickly.

"Take them with you," Arrow ordered as he marched to the mirror.

Struggling against the grasp of the soldiers, Ashley managed to wrench one arm free. In her mind, she could hear Andros screaming at her, telling her to get away, to run, but not only was there nowhere to run to, there was no way she could abandon him here.

As she was tossed through the mirror, Ashley was filled with the sensation of falling. Had this not been the situation that it was, she thought she could have enjoyed the experience. She landed hard on her stomach, the wind knocked out of her. Gasping for air, she felt Andros fall beside her.

"Ash," he muttered, dazed. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, gulping down air. Andros staggered to his feet, the burns he'd received stinging painfully, and pulled her up, holding her to him fiercely. Arrow laughed, and motioned to Killian, who dragged them apart. Arrow turned to the guard holding Andros.

"Kill him."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** I think you've read the first four or five chapters. Actually, four, because I put the fourth and fifth chapters together, so after tomorrow, you can read new stuff. :P_

_**Jenny:** Yeah, I guess I did. It probably could have used a little more explanation. It was supposed to go at the end of Part 1, but then my mind decided to be all twisted and gave me an idea for Part 2. :P_

_**the-power-of-love:** Thanks, here's more._

_**DizneeDol:** Thanks, and I can actually update soon for the next few days. I already wrote it. :P_

_**Arwennicole:** Don't worry, he doesn't die, but what does happen isn't all that much better._

_**Princess Emmie:** Thanks, here's some more._

Chapter 3

"Kill him."

"No!" Ashley shrieked, wrenching herself free, and trying to get to Andros. Arrow caught her in one swift movement before she was halfway there. "Andros!"

Ashley went limp as the guards started to drag Andros away and Arrow dropped her in heap on the ground. Ashley was on her feet in an instant, trying to get to Andros, but Arrow caught her again and held her arms firmly from behind. Andros was still struggling, but there were too many of them, and they both knew it. He was only determined to fight to the death.

"Wait," Arrow said, holding up a hand. "This could be interesting."

He pushed Ashley forward, forcing her to walk. He stopped when Ashley was only inches away from Andros. He let them stare into each other's eyes for several long minutes before pulling Ashley a safe distance away.

"What will you do to save him, Yellow Ranger?"

"Anything," Ashley said instantly.

"Anything?" Arrow repeated. Andros could see the triumphant look in his eyes.

"Anything," Ashley said again. Andros saw her eyes cloud with fear for an instant before they hardened. Her face was deathly pale, as if she already knew what was going to happen.

"I will let him live," Arrow said. "If you agree to one simple request."

"What do you want?" Ashley managed to keep the fear out of her voice.

"If you stay here, I will let him go free."

"NO!" Andros shouted. "Ashley, NO!"

"I will kill him if you refuse, Yellow Ranger."

"NO!" Andros screamed. "Ash, listen to me! Don't do this!"

Arrow laughed, and let his hands trail slowly down her arms, his breath almost in her ear. Ashley slowly turned to face Arrow. From the way he looked at her, she knew without a doubt what would happen to her if she said yes. She swallowed hard, and nodded.

"Can I say goodbye to him?" she asked in a whisper. "Please?"

Arrow considered it for a long moment. "Yes," he consented. "But you will never see him again."

"Don't do this," Andros begged, tearing himself free, and seizing Ashley in his arms. "Ashley, please don't do this. I'd rather die than have someone hurt you."

Ashley said nothing, hiding her face against his neck, and Andros buried his face in her hair, holding her as tightly as he could. If he never let go of her, no one could hurt her.

"I love you," Ashley whispered, her voice muffled.

"Ash, I love you," Andros whispered into her ear. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do."

Ashley was shaking, but there was no fear in her voice. Andros felt hot tears sting his eyes, and he sobbed bitterly into her hair, hating himself for being unable to protect her.

"Enough," Arrow ordered.

He tried to pull Ashley away from Andros, but Andros refused to let her go. He was not about to hand her over to this monster. Arrow shrugged his shoulders and nodded to Killian.

Andros inhaled sharply as he felt something strike him hard across the back, but other than that, he did nothing to indicate that he had felt it at all. Several blows later, however, it was all he could do not to cry out in pain. Still, he held onto Ashley, who had wrapped her arms around his head in an effort to protect him.

"Andros, let me go," Ashley said finally.

"I can't," Andros whispered. "Don't make me."

"Andros, let me go," Ashley said firmly. Looking up sadly into his eyes, she whispered, "I love you."

Gently, Ashley wriggled out of his arms, and turned bravely to face Arrow. Andros tried to catch her and pull her back into his arms, but he found himself firmly in the grasp of the guards.

"Where do we take him?" the captain asked Arrow.

"Keep him here for now," Arrow said. In his hand he was holding a thin bronze ring. "Watch carefully, Red Ranger."

Arrow slipped the ring over Ashley's head, and Andros cried out as he felt Ashley's presence in his mind ripped away. If she hadn't been standing there in front of him, Andros would have thought that she was dead. Ashley was staring at him, tears streaming down her face, true terror in her eyes for the first time.

"Get him out of here," Arrow ordered.

Ashley could hear Andros shouting furiously, and she heard Arrow responding in jeering tones. Ashley closed her eyes, and waited for the nightmare to be over.

Her mind accepted what was happening, but the rest of her shut down in a last effort to protect herself.

Mercifully, the world went blank.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** So you hated it then:P_

_**Jenny: **I know that Arrow is a very sick and twisted monster. And yes, AH/AY know this. And I did update soon._

_**Princess Emmie:** Thanks, here's more._

_**Melissa:** It's okay, don't worry about it. It'll all work out._

_**DizneeDol:** Thanks, here's more._

Chapter 4

Dazed, Andros was thrown roughly out of Arrow's compound. He landed face down on the hot, hard street, and lay there, unmoving and unfeeling. He had no idea how much time had passed, but it must have been hours before anyone paid him any notice. Someone kicked him hard in the ribs, and he winced, groaning.

"Don't do that!" he heard someone say sharply. "Think, Calan. We need him."

"If you say so, Alana," came the dubious reply. "He doesn't look like much."

"That's all thanks to your brilliant plan," Alana snapped. "Yours and... Don't just stand there, Calan, help me move him. Careful, he's hurt."

Andros listened to their conversation without interest, not really caring how they knew who he was or what they wanted with him. As he was hauled to his feet, his body screamed in silent agony as something scraped hard against the burns.

"I said careful, Calan!"

"Sorry, Alana," Calan replied carelessly, and Andros took an immediate dislike to him.

"Apologize to him, he's the one you've hurt." Alana paused. "Red Ranger, can you hear me?" Andros nodded his head. "Can you walk?"

"I - I don't know," Andros said, his voice coming out hoarse.

"Lean on us," Alana ordered him. "We're taking you somewhere safe."

Andros did as he was told, and found his arms slung over their shoulders as they supported him. Slowly the three of them made their way down the street. He watched the ground pass by under his feet, wishing that he could be running in the opposite direction - towards Ashley, not away from her.

"In here," Alana said suddenly, and Andros let himself be dragged through a doorway and into a dark room. "Put him in that chair over there." He felt himself dropped down onto a chair and finally raised his head, taking in his surroundings.

The room was no longer dark; Alana had turned on a light. It was a small space, and crowded. They were in a living area that doubled as a kitchen of some sort, he guessed, and through an open doorway, he could see four bunks shoved up against the wall.

Andros turned his head to look at his rescuers. Alana was a tall blond no older than twenty, with clear sapphire eyes that gazed at him intently. She was wearing several shades of pink. It was Calan's appearece that sent waves of fury coursing through him. He was dressed completely in blue, but Andros saw only his face. It was the face of the guard who had beat him as he'd tried to hold onto Ashley.

"Killian," he muttered, staggering to his feet, intending to fight him, intending to kill him.

"Whoa!" Alana cried. "Careful, you'll hurt yourself." She caught his arms and pushed him back down into his seat, despite his efforts to shake her off. "Red Ranger, do you have a name?"

"I'm Andros," he said, still struggling to get to Calan.

"Andros," Alana said. "Calm down. This is Calan, not Killian."

He paused, blinking at her. "What?"

"You met my twin brother earlier," Calan explained. "He's Arrow's advisor, and captain of the guards."

"I'll kill him," Andros spat, energy flooding into him at the mention of Arrow's name. "I'll kill them both."

"That's what we brought you here for," Alana said, anxiety creeping into her voice.

"Andros, we're Power Rangers."

"What?" Andros asked, not really caring much for the declaration. He hadn't heard past the first sentence. "You brought me here?"

"We need a red ranger," Calan said bluntly. "We've searched all through our world, and there's no one that can harness the power, so we decided to borrow you."

"And if I say no?"

"Then Arrow keeps your precious Ashley."

"What?" Andros and Alana cried together.

"What's wrong with you?" Alana shouted.

"Arrow wasn't just going to let him walk through the mirror," Calan said defensively. "He wasn't just going to let him go free! He needed a hostage. Do you know how hard I worked to convince Killian to convince Arrow that it was worth it to chase after the red ranger in the first place? It took months! I wasn't even there. Is it my fault that the yellow ranger followed him around like some sort of pet?"

This time, Alana made no move to restrain Andros as he flew at Calan, completely consumed by rage. Forgetting about his injuries, he seized the blue ranger by the throat, trying to crush his windpipe. Calan retaliated by catching Andros just under the jaw with his fist, driving the red ranger back. Not caring about the pain, Andros was about to charge at him when he was caught from behind by someone much stronger than Alana.

"Who's this?" inquired a deep voice. "And what's Calan done this time?"

"This is our red ranger, but if he kills us all and walks away, I couldn't blame him."

"I was only gone for three days!"

"He took the time to put our unfinished plan into action, Blaze," Alana said. "This isn't worth it. The red ranger-"

"Stop talking about me!" Andros shouted. "I don't belong here. I don't belong with you. If Ashley's suffering because you want me here, then I'm leaving. Do you understand?"

"I'll let you go if you don't attack Calan again," Blaze said. Andros nodded, the desire to kill Calan vanishing completely, leaving only the pain of losing Ashley. He sank down into the chair again, his head in his hands. "Now... who's Ashley?"

Andros looked up to see a dark-skinned man who strongly resembled TJ staring down at him, dressed in black. "Who's Ashley?" Blaze repeated kindly.

"I love her," Andros whispered.

"She's their yellow ranger," Calan said. "She was with him when Killian and Arrow ambushed him. They were captured together."

"Where is she now?" Blaze demanded. "Calan..."

"Arrow took her," Andros choked out. "I tried to hold onto her, but when Killian started beating me, she made me let her go. She wanted to save me."

There was a moment of silence in which Calan spent glaring sullenly at Andros. "It's not like she's dead," he said finally. "You can get her back."

"Calan," Blaze said sternly, before Andros could react. "You and I need to have a talk. Now."

"I have somewhere else to be," Calan snapped, storming out of the room. "You and your righteousness can wait."

Blaze muttered something that Andros couldn't hear and went into the other room. Alana knelt down by Andros. "You'll get her back," she promised. "I'm so sorry, this wasn't supposed to happen at all."

"How do you know Arrow won't kill her?" Andros challenged.

Alana sighed heavily. "You're injured. Let me help you."

"He's going to kill her, isn't he?" Andros pressed. "Tell me. I want to know."

"He won't kill her," Alana assured him, as she searched for bandages.

"If I never see Ashley again, I will kill all three of them," Andros vowed.

"Don't say that," Alana said, sighing. "In our world, trust is a luxury that we cannot afford. Arrow has grown stronger. We are a team only because we each oppose him for our own reasons, not because we trust each other. Please, join us. Do it for Ashley."

Andros closed his eyes, wishing that there was another choice. There wasn't. He'd taken on Arrow alone before, and lost badly. There was no way he could do it again.

"I'll do it," he muttered, hating the blue ranger much more than he had ever hated the dark ranger.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** This part you haven't read:P And since I have issues writing just a normal, straightforward story, see if you can figure out what I did. You might need the next chapter for that, though. :P_

_**Jenny:** Yeah, that's pretty much it, and there's kind more to it. I'm starting to think that this was a much better idea in my head, but too late now. And you're supposed to hate Calan. _

_**JDPhoenix:** Thanks, I'll get back to Ashley pretty soon, don't worry._

_**DizneeDol:** Thanks, here's some more._

_**timeforce101:** If you're reading this, thanks. :P_

Chapter 5

"He's not doing as well as I'd hoped," Alana murmured out of the corner of her mouth. Beside her, Calan made no reply other than to shrug his shoulders. They were standing side by side in a corner of the ranger's small training arena, where Andros was sparring against Blaze. The black ranger was clearly putting little effort or thought into his moves, yet he took Andros by surprise every time. The red ranger stumbled back after a slow kick, and fell. He sat up slowly, shoving his hair roughly out of his eyes as he caught his breath.

"That was much better," Blaze said encouragingly, shooting Calan and Alana helpless glances.

"Good try," Alana added, rolling her eyes at Blaze. The black ranger was the only one with the patience to try and force some life back into the red ranger. In the last ten days, though he had spent most of his time training, Andros had been getting worse.

Blaze shrugged at her, and offered Andros a hand up. Not surprisingly, he refused, and continued to sit in the middle of the floor with his shoulders hunched. Irritated, Alana turned to Calan. "Did he depend on her that much?"

"Apparently so," the blue ranger agreed. His tone was somewhere between curiosity and amusement. "That's interesting..."

"It's already gotten too complicated," Alana muttered warningly. "Leave the yellow ranger out of the situation for now."

"I agree," Calan concurred after a moment of tense silence between them. "But he could use some motivation."

"No," Alana said firmly, more loudly than she'd intended, and Blaze spared them an annoyed glare. "All right, we'll go somewhere else," she said. "Come on... Calan," she said loudly, yanking him out of the room.

"Is he gone now?" Andros muttered, refusing to stand until the blue ranger was gone from the room.

"They both are," Blaze said. He sighed, and sat down alongside Andros. "Look, I know you hate Calan, and I understand. You have reason to hate him, but you have to realize that if that hate consumes you, you have no chance of succeeding. Arrow will win, and you'll never get your yellow ranger back."

"You have to understand that I don't care if we win or lose," Andros said bluntly. "I couldn't care less if all of you live or die. All I care about is saving Ashley. Nothing else, and I will do whatever I have to do in order to get her back."

"I do understand," Blaze said after a long pause. "But sitting here crying over her isn't going to save her. Get up and focus."

Andros sighed, and nodded. Drowninng in guilt didn't help either him or Ashley. "I'll try," he muttered.

"That's all we're asking of you," Blaze said.

"You don't have any right to ask anything of me," Andros snapped. "It was the three of you who had Killian and Arrow bring us here."

"Then it's all you should ask of yourself." Blaze ammended his statement, unfazed. "Now, let's try it again."

Andros nodded silently. He stood up, pulling his hair back into a neat ponytail. Taking a deep breath, he did as he had been trained to do, and blocked everything else out of his mind but his opponent. Blaze came at him, and kicked. Andros' arm snapped up to block, and he returned the attack.

"Much better," Blaze said, relieved. Andros didn't answer, and they didn't speak again until the fight was over. Blaze had won again, but Andros had held out longer, and put up something that at least resembled a fight.

"That's more like it," Alana said, satisfied, as she walked back into the room. "Here."

She held out her arm to Andros, something clasped in her palm. When he didn't reach for it, she rolled her eyes at Blaze and took his hand, forcing him to take it. "Your morpher."

Andros stared at it for a second, then strapped it over his wrist. It was much bulkier than his Astromorpher had been, and much heavier also. Unaccustomed to the weight, his entire body felt off-balance.

"Morph by saying 'Red Defender, power up'," Alana instructed.

"Defender?" Andros repeated flatly.

"We are the defenders," Alana said softly. "There is no one else."

They were no defenders; they were vigilantes.

These rangers worked in a completely different fashion from any that he had ever met before. For one, the team managed to function quite well loathing each other the majority of the time. There were only three of them, but they made up for it in their ruthlessness. Arrow did not command robotic footsoldiers; he commanded human beings, and these rangers took human lives, a fact that did not bother them in the least.

It bothered him; he had been trained to defend humanity, not to destroy it. He wouldn't spare Arrow his life, but he didn't feel the need to slaughter the soldiers, most of whom had probably been coerced into joining in the first place, maybe the same way that he had been blackmailed into joining this team.

"Happy now?" he asked, meeting their eyes defiantly for the first time in days. Alana was smiling darkly at him, but Blaze looked tremendously bothered.

"Very," the pink ranger said, giving the black ranger an unreadable look as she turned and strode from the room.

"What?" Andros asked suspiciously, very aware that a silent conversation had taken place between the two other rangers, one that was undoubtedly about him. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Blaze said hastily. "Morph. We have to keep practicing. We attack tomorrow."

Andros nodded, more out of habit than anything else. Though he still felt more numb than anything else, he was acutely aware that this time tomorrow, he would be leading three people into battle, a battle that he wished would never come.

_You have to,_ he reminded himself. _For Ashley._

Andros groaned softly. He didn't want to do this, and Ashley wouldn't want him to do this, but here he was doing it, and while there was nothing that he wouldn't do to get Ashley back, he hated himself for it.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: **Okay, **this** part I know you didn't see, but feel free to act like you did and taunt other people:P_

_**DizneeDol:** Relax, here's more. :P_

_**Jenny:** Don't worry, the story will get normal again in a few chapter, as soon as I figure out how to get them out of here. Until then, just read all the randomness._

Chapter 6

Ashley awoke as she had every morning for the past two weeks: completely alone, her eyes shut tight in a futile attempt to escape reality. Slowly, she sat up, greeted only by the dead gray walls. Her room was a small, windowless alcove in the center of what was referred to as Arrow's palace, but was really little more than a larger than normal building. The only door was not only locked, it was guarded as well.

Curling up on the small cot, she tried to get through to Andros. She's tried every day, until her head pounded with the effort, but she couldn't stop. If only she could get the ring off... but she didn't doubt that she was being watched every minute, night or day, and she didn't dare tempt fate. Arrow had let Andros go free, but if she annoyed him in any way, she knew that Andros would die.

Closing her eyes again, she fought back the urge to scream, or to cry. When Arrow had slipped the ring over her head, it felt as though her heart had been ripped out, and then thrown back to her, torn apart.

The door opened, and Killian, the guard, entered. He smirked at her before setting a tray on the floor. "Eat it up, beautiful." Ashley glared at him, and he laughed, some life sparking into his cold eyes. Still chuckling to himself, he backed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Not the least bit hungry, Ashley reached for the tray on the floor, the food tasting like dirt in her mouth. She ate little, only enough to get through until her next meal. She was fed regularly, and allowed to bathe often enough, even given clothing. It was what he took from her that made her sick to her stomach.

Ashley closed her eyes as she lay down on the cot again, losing the battle against herself. A tear slowly trickled down each cheek, and she curled up, fighting as hard as she could to keep it all inside. "Andros," she whispered. "Where are you?"

If only she could know that he was safe, far away, then she could escape, or at least try. She doubted that it was possible for her to get to the end of the corridor, but if she could only just catch a glimpse of the freedom that lay beyond this prison...

The door opened again, and this time Arrow entered. Knowing what was coming, Ashley fought back the urge to be sick, but instead of moving closer to her, as she'd expected him to do, he motioned for her to stand. Confused, she stared at him.

"Get up," he snapped. "Stand. Come here."

Slowly, Ashley obeyed, finding it a great test of will to keep herself from trembling. Not allowing herself to wonder at what he was going to do to her now, she followed him out of the room and down the hall, now eerily empty except for the two of them.

"Where are you taking me?" she dared ask.

"Quiet," he ordered harshly. "Do not speak."

Ashley fell silent, and continued to follow him, eyes cast downward. The hall branched off into another hall, which led to a maze of doors that she suspected only Arrow and Killian knew what lay behind them all. Selecting one, he thrust her through the doorway. She looked up to see Killian standing in a corner of the room.

"Keep her here," Arrow ordered. "I'll be back after I deal with those fool rangers."

"Rangers?" Ashley turned, but Arrow had already slammed the door. The sound reverberated through the floor, and she could feel it pass through her heart. Sinking slowly to the floor, she drew her knees up to her chin, her arms wrapping themselves around her knees. She ignored Killian's presence completely, but Killian did not like to be ignored.

"Tell me the name of the red ranger again," he ordered her. "He is so easily forgotten."

"Andros," Ashley whispered, feeling tears well up in her eyes as she said his name. _I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry,_ she repeated to herself over and over again.

Killian laughed softly. "It seems like your precious Andros has joined up with the rangers of our dimension."

Ashley said nothing. She knew that he was baiting her, and she refused to take the bait, although she was dying to know. Killian didn't speak for a long while, waiting for her resolve to break, and they sat in silence, Ashley becoming aware of distant shouts and screams.

"What's happening?" she finally asked, hating herself for needing to know.

"With the red ranger as the newest member of their team, the rangers have managed to breach the palace," Killian explained. He didn't sound the least bit concerned about the fact. "They will not get far before they are forced to retreat, but before they do, they will pass through the corridor just outside."

Ashley's eyes widened as she realized what Killian was saying. Andros would be just outside... Killian laughed cruelly.

"If you call out his name when he passes by, I have no doubts that he will attempt to rescue you," he said, his voice low and quiet as the din out in the hall grew louder.

"But your voice could easily distract him, cause him to falter, his attention to slip at a crucial moment in battle..." Killian watched her carefully, clearly enjoying himself immensely. "If Arrow captures your beloved red ranger yet again, you have nothing left to bargain for his freedom."

"Andros." Ashley whispered his name, wanting to scream it.

The battle was raging right outside now, and she could hear the voices clearly now. She recognized Arrow's voice, and the voices of some of the guards. There were several that she couldn't place. Kneeling and pressing her ear to the door, Ashley strained to hear, desperately searching for Andros' voice, but she couldn't catch even a fragment of it.

Then the door shuddered, and she heard him cry out in pain. Tears filled her eyes as she saw a faint red light through the small crack in between the floor and the bottom of the door. He'd been hit hard enough to make him demorph.

He was so close. All she had to do was shout out his name.

"I will not kill you, red ranger," she heard Arrow say clearly. "Remember, I promised your yellow ranger that I wouldn't."

"Ashley," Andros whispered. "Where is she?"

Ashley's mouth was opened in a silent scream of anguish as tears streamed noiselessly down her face. She couldn't do it, she just couldn't. Her remaining here was all that was keeping him alive.

There was another small crack between the door and the doorframe, and she pressed her eye to it, her heart aching just to catch one glimpse of his face.

"You will never know, Red Ranger," Arrow said calmly. "I suggest you take the opportunity and leave. Mercy is something I do not show often. You are the fortunate one, the offer does not cover your team."

His head was leaning against the door, interrupting the smooth line of light that entered from the hall. He was only an inch away. Ashley could almost touch him.

"We'll be back, Arrow," she heard a woman's voice say coldly, as the fight continued. "And next time, we will win."

"Let's go," another voice, this one male, said.

"Get **up** Andros," the woman's voice said, sounding completely exasperated. "Some people might think you actually **wanted** to stay here and die."

"I don't care," Andros muttered, but the pattern of light and shadodws changed as he got to his feet. For one split second, Ashley could have sworn that his hazel eyes locked onto the eye that was pressed against the crack in the wall. Then the battle moved away as the rangers retreated, and Andros was gone.

"So close," Killian taunted her. "He was so close. You could have touched him."

Pressing her palms over her ears to block out his gloating voice, Ashley huddled in a corner. Several minutes of complete silence passed before Ashley finally lost her battle with herself. Lowering her head, she began to sob.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** Don't worry, I'll get her out of there. I just need to have some stuff happen to set up the rest of the story._

_**Juzblue:** I know._

_**JDPhoenix: **I know. Thanks. It'll get happier in a little bit._

_**DizneeDol:** Thanks, here it is._

_**Jenny:** Thanks. Yeah, I do like fate. It's fun. And don't worry, Arrow isn't going to get away with all of it. And I took out the really, really random stuff, so you won't be confused anymore._

_**Sandra:** Of course. I don't know how much longer this will be._

Chapter 7

Defeated, the rangers slipped into the city. Andros ignored the other rangers completely. Once they'd returned to their home base, he demorphed, and slunk over to the bunk that was his. Throwing himself down onto it, he lay on his back staring at the bottom of the bunk above him until he couldn't stand the sight of it any longer. Then he covered his face with his hands, and continued lying there, finding it an enormous challenge not to break down into tears.

"You haven't moved in six hours," Calan said scathingly. "Are you even alive?"

Andros ignored the blue ranger, his temper beginning to flare. His nerves were already on edge from being in that building. Somewhere in there was Ashley, and he couldn't sense her. He couldn't feel her. There was nothing to tell him that she was even still alive, except for his heart, which wouldn't allow him to believe that she was dead.

"Why don't you get up?" Calan continued. "Move around. Act alive."

"Shut up," Andros growled finally. "Leave me alone."

"That's what I **have** been doing," Calan said. "But **someone** has to get through to you. Blaze can't, and Alana won't, so that leaves me."

"What are you **talking**about?" Andros demanded.

"I'm talking about how you act like you can't live without her," Calan snapped. "You made some stupid mistakes today, and you're going to get yourself killed, if not someone else."

"I **can't** live without her," Andros snapped, finding anger a welcome relief from overwhelming sadness.

"You could if you tried hard enough," Calan said.

"I don't want to try," Andros said.

"Then you might as well forget about her," Calan shouted. "Because you will never see her again if you don't."

"I will see Ashley again," Andros shouted back. "I don't care what I have to do."

"That's an improvement, I guess," Calan said skeptically. "But if by some miracle, you survive and save her, she won't be like you remember her."

His tone was slightly less contemptuous, and Andros sighed.

"I don't care," he said quietly. "I love her, and there is nothing that anyone could do to change that."

"Are you sure?" Calan challenged him.

"I'm positive," Andros said through gritted teeth. "I love Ashley. Arrow can't take that away from me."

"But he can take it away from her," Calan said. "She's locked up somewhere, terrified, hurting, wondering where you are and why you haven't saved her yet."

"I'm trying to save her!" Andros cried, finally sitting up, to glare at the blue ranger. "She knows that I wouldn't abandon her."

"Does she?" Calan questioned. "It's been two weeks. The closest you've come to rescuing her was one failed attempt to overthrow Arrow. Besides that, how does she know that you even still want her? How do you know that you still want her?"

"Because I love her," Andros said, his eyes darkening with anger. "And it's killing me that he has her because of me."

"No matter how strong your love is, Arrow will break it," Calan said, almost cheerfully. "You'd be a complete idiot to doubt that."

"I don't care what you think," Andros said, fighting hard to keep his temper under control. "I'll always love her."

"Until you meet someone else who'll sleep with you," Calan said jeeringly. "Come on, we both know that there's no reason why you'd want Ashley, now that Arrow has, how shall I put it? Now that's Arrow's enjoyed her, why should she be worth anything to you?"

The last statement was an obvious effort to infuriate him, and Andros knew it, but it didn't stop him from lashing out at the blue ranger with his fists. Calan's pleased expression only made him angrier, and if Alana hadn't entered the room at that moment, Andros doubted that he would have let Calan go without doing him some serious injury.

"What did you do now?" she groaned, yanking them apart, shoving Calan back into his seat, and Andros back down onto his bunk. "Can't you two even be in the same room without acting like children?"

"That depends," Calan said, his careless tone back again, "on if he's going to try and fight every time I say something he disagrees with."

"What did you say this time?" Alana demanded.

"He said I shouldn't want Ashley anymore because Arrow's raping her," Andros said, rage smoldering in his eyes.

"You actually said that?" Alana stared at Calan with a truly unreadable expression.

"I meant it as a legitimate question," he said, not bothering to sound remorseful, or to keep his eyes from laughing. "I truly want to know why he would still love her."

"Then you deserve an answer," Alana said calmly, and snapped, "because he's not you."

With that, she stormed off again, bitter hatred burning in her eyes, and Andros stared at Calan, whose sneer had finally been replaced by a shaken expression. Andros narrowed his eyes at Calan as Alana stalked off. The blue ranger met his eyes with a contemptuous glare, and they stared at each other for several minutes, each determined not to be the one to break the silence.

"You and Alana?" Andros asked finally.

"No," Calan said harshly. "If they're lucky enough to survive him, he changes them too much. They can't live. They can't love."

"Not Ashley," Andros said, willing himself to believe it. "She's too strong. He can't do that to her."

"It's surprisingly easy to break down a person's will," Calan said calmly. "I've seen it done. I've done it. Arrow did it to you."

Andros stared at him, speechless, and Calan smiled bitterly. "Everyone here knows about your previous battles with Arrow. You were such a stupid child, really believing that he'd tell you where your baby sister was if you set him free. I imagine the guilt must have caught up with you again. Wasn't it the yellow ranger who convinced you that it wasn't your fault? She's probably changed her mind about that now..."

Andros felt as though someone had hit him hard in the gut with something extremely heavy. He'd been avoiding it, but Calan was right. If he hadn't been so gullible, Arrow would have been dead years ago. He wouldn't have been able to capture them, and Ashley would be safe. It was his fault; there was no way around it, no matter how hard he tried to find one. Ashley was probably hating him for it now.

No... Ashley loved him. Andros hated himself, but Ashley loved him. Or did she? Everyone had a breaking point. There was only so much Ashley could take before she too would turn against him.

"I have to save her," Andros said aloud. "I have to."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** Of course Ashley loves him. Andros is just beating himself up for not protecting her. Ashley knows that he loves her, and she can't stop loving him, since they're soulmates. :P_

_**Juzblue:** Calan went way too far. He's got a sort of reason for it, but it'll just make you hate him more. And I did update soon._

_**Jenny:** No, Calan wasn't raised by any of the people you suggested, and I think dropping someone on their head makes them more dumb than sadistic. Demon is a good example of that. If I'm supposed to update soon, I guess I should go finish the next chapter, then. :P_

_**JDPhoenix:** Yay, I'm twisted! Wow, this is the happy point of your week? Your school must be worse than mine... :P_

Chapter 8

The blue ranger watched the conflicting emotions that passed over Andros's face with a kind of grim satisfaction that made Andros want to fly at him again, and it took all his willpower not to.

Instead, he turned around and stormed out of the building. He heard Alana call after him, and sped up, determined to get away from them all somehow. He didn't make it that much further before the pink ranger soon caught up to him, grabbing ahold of his arm, and turning him forcibly to face her.

"What do you want?" Andros demanded wearily. "Please, I just want to be alone."

"To help you," Alana said in a tone that clearly implicated she didn't want to help him any more than he wanted to be helped. Her face was hidden under a dark hood, but he had a good idea that if he could see her face, there would be no less distate as there had been in her voice. "Come on."

Yanking on his arm, Alana pulled him along, dragging him back to the building he'd just stormed from. She practically threw him down onto his bunk and stood there, glaring down at him. "You stay there and listen to me."

"Make me," Andros growled, standing up again. Alana sighed, and slapped him harshly across the face. He glared at her, stunned, her handprint appearing on his stinging cheek, but he refused to press his own hand to his cheek. Instead he sat down again, waiting sullenly for her to speak. He didn't have to wait long.

"You won't listen to Blaze, and you attack Calan whenever he comes near you, so that leaves me," she said icily. "We've all been trying to tell you the same thing, and this is how I'm going to do it. You've said that you don't much care whether we live or die, and I can tell you with certainty that we feel the same way about you. But regardless of our feelings for each other, we all want the same thing, for our own reasons. We want to defeat Arrow."

"I know that," Andros snapped, flinching as Alana moved, feeling his face grow hot. He didn't like being hit. "Get to the point."

"We brought you here to make us stronger. So far, you've only made us weaker."

"Well then maybe you shouldn't have arranged for Arrow to drag me out of my dimension," Andros said cooly, meeting her cold sapphire gaze.

"Maybe not," Alana agreed. "But what's done is done, and we can only move forward. You need to let go of all your anger, and just trust us a little."

"I thought trust was a luxury you couldn't afford," Andros muttered, surprised when the hint of a smile relaxed Alana's otherwise hard features.

"Sometimes you have to take a chance," she told him quietly. "Can you trust us, for Ashley?"

Andros exhaled slowly. "Not Calan. He did this."

"And the rest of us?"

He hesitated. "I don't know."

Alana sighed. "We're not all like Calan. Just give us a chance."

"I have," Andros snapped, suddenly furious. Why couldn't they see? Why did they feel that he owed them something?

"No, you haven't," Alana snapped back. Andros glared right back at her, his eyes twin pools of fury. All of this was her, and Calan, and Blaze. It was their illconceived plan that had brought him and Ashley to the surface of that planet. It was their fault, but he sighed, knowing that it was also his.

After awhile, he found himself saying softly, "Ashley was the first person that never judged me, one of few people who ever cared about me, and the second person to make a sacrifice for me that I don't deserve. I fought Arrow when I was fourteen, and he talked me into setting him free. Ashley convinced me that it wasn't my fault, even after he got away again. It's not just that I love her. I need her so much. It's selfish, but I need to save her for me just as much as for her."

He didn't know why he'd said the words. He knew that none of them cared for either him or Ashley, yet here he was, telling them what he had a feeling they would someday use against him.

Alana nodded distractedly, and stalked off. Andros watched her go, and shrugged off her abrupt departure. She'd done her job, that was all. Neither Blaze nor Calan had succeeded in snapping out of his daze, and that had left her. Now that it was done, she could go back to ignoring him as she always did.

Andros sighed, the familiar anxiety returning to him, as it always did before a fight. Without being told, he knew that there would be another attempt made before long, maybe as soon as the next day. They had to strike before Arrow could recover from whatever blow they had dealt him the day before, a small one, if Andros had judged the fight correctly.

Blaze walked through the doorway, and this time, when he was ordered to spar again, Andros put up a true fight, matching the black ranger block for block and kick for kick.

"We should have sent Alana after you sooner," Blaze grunted, leaping back to avoid a hurricane kick. He flipped himself over in midair and came back at Andros with an uppercut that the red ranger dodged successfully. "How hard did she hit you?"

"Pretty hard," Andros admitted, catching the black ranger in a chokehold. Blaze held up both hands in a gesture of defeat, and Andros released him.

"That's better," Blaze said, catching his breath. "I knew you could fight better than you were."

"How soon do we attack again?" Andros asked. If he didn't have Ashley back soon, he was going to go insane.

Blaze considered. "None of us were injured, so I'd say we could go anytime."

"When?" Andros pressed, urgency flooding his eyes. "Please, just tell me."

"Tomorrow, maybe," the black ranger said, "or the day after. Sometime soon."

Andros didn't succeed in hiding his frustration. He wanted to rescue Ashley now, not tomorrow, the day after, or sometime soon. Blaze noted his expression and sighed.

"You'll have her back," he said kindly. Andros sighed and nodded, blinking hard to keep back tears as he remembered the look on Ashley's face as he'd been dragged away from her.

"I should have made her go back," he muttered. "We walked right into Arrow's trap because I didn't want her to know that I was scared."

"We've all made mistakes," Blaze tried to tell him, but Andros wouldn't listen.

"But I've never paid for mine," he said, choking on his words. Swallowing hard, he left the room quickly, and collapsed face down onto his bunk. For three long weeks, he had managed to hold in all his emotions, but soon, he knew, he would be able to do that no longer.

He loved Ashley with all his heart and soul, and knew always would, although he kept hearing Calan's taunting that Arrow could kill their love. Andros prayed that it wasn't true, that Ashley wasn't laying somewhere, broken, everything that had made him love her dead and gone.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Juzblue:** It's going to get happier, don't worry. Well, kinda happier anyway._

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** Ashley won't be like that, but she's not going to be exactly happy when Andros finds her. Well, she's happy that he finds her, but you know what I mean. And if you vote more than once, I'll make her Arrow's just to spite you. :P_

_**JDPhoenix: **Thanks. Here it is. :P_

_**Jenny:** Alana's not too bad. Of course Andros and Ashley's love survives the ordeal. Do you think I'd let them end up not together? Marieke said something about a poll? I guess I should have that poll, then. (Don't hate me, and just vote once.) :P_

_**the-power-of-love:** Thanks, here's some more. Hope you like it. :P_

Chapter 9

Andros opened his eyes blearily, trying to escape the voices raging nearby. For a second, he was unsure of where he was. Then he recognized Alana's voice, and sat up, leaning forward as he listened. There was a thin wall between the kitchen and the small, closet-sized space with their bunks, and Andros could hear clearly what was being said.

"... does it matter? Calan was right," Alana snapped. "You are too righteous, Blaze."

Andros couldn't hear Blaze's reply, and assumed that he was speaking in his calm voice, as always. Whatever he said only infuriated Alana even more, and he heard Calan laughing somewhere in the background.

"You shup up too," Alana told him, in a considerably kinder tone than she'd used with Blaze. "Just because we sometimes need to use your brother doesn't mean that we'll always need you."

"You will always need me," Calan retorted. "Without me, it'd be just you two, like it was before. We all know how successful that was."

Andros heard Blaze say something else that must have been a reminder that they now had a red ranger, for Calan laughed again, and said, "If you can call him a ranger."

There was a long silence, and then the door between the two rooms opened. Blaze entered the room, an unreadable look in his eyes when he saw that Andros was awake and listening.

"How much did you hear?"

"Alana saying that Calan was right, that you were too righteous," Andros said after a moment. "And what came after that."

"I wouldn't call it righteousness," Blaze said, with a glance over his shoulder. "I simply dislike using people as much as I have."

"Then why did you?" Andros demanded. "Why did you have to do all this, just to find a red ranger? Why couldn't you have just asked?"

Blaze looked startled at the question. "You would have helped us for nothing?"

"Yes," Andros exclaimed. "I would have. Ashley would have. You could have gotten yourselves an entire team that would have helped you willingly, instead of just me here because I have no other choice."

"We didn't know." Blaze sighed. "It's not an excuse, but it's the truth."

Andros didn't have the energy for the argument that a reply would bring. Instead, he lay back down as he heard Calan and Alana enter the room. The other rangers settled themselves quickly in their bunks, but Andros knew that none of them were sleeping.

Andros rolled over onto his stomach, trying to relax enough to escape into unconsciousness. It was impossible, as it had been every night for the past two and a half weeks. He and Ashley had only been together five times, but sleeping with her in his arms had seemed so right to him that now, without her, sleep refused to come.

He suddenly felt sick to his stomach as his mind settled itself on something he had tried very hard not to think about. If he didn't get to Ashley soon, there was a very good chance that she would become pregnant, if she wasn't already.

Tears rushed into his eyes, and this time, Andros didn't bother to dam them. He cried silently, his face buried in his pillow as he thought about Ashley, and what would happen if he lost her. For Ashley, Andros thought he could raise a child that wasn't his, but something in his heart told him that Ashley wouldn't want to let him.

Then another thought occured to him, and Andros fought hard not to throw up. He and Ashley hadn't used any type of protection, meaning that Ashley could be pregnant already, with his child. The idea of Ashley pregnant with his child but still willingly letting Arrow use her was in many ways worse than the idea of Ashley pregnant with Arrow's child.

_I should have protected her,_ he thought yet again, more furious with himself than he could ever remember being. _I should have died before I let him take her from me. _

Andros shifted onto his side, tears still running down his cheeks, his face wet from crying. He pulled the blanket up over his head, wanting just to die, or to disappear.

_I'm going to rip him in half for hurting her, but it won't be enough. Nothing will ever be enough. It'll only be revenge for something that I can never change, no matter how much I wish I could. _

_If he gets Ashley pregnant, I'll lose her again. I can't live without her, but I know that she'll break up with me. I love her so much, and I'd do anything for her, but she won't let me. She won't let herself ask me to raise someone else's child, especially Arrow's. _

_I should have died to protect her. I should have made him kill me, to give her time to run. Then she'd be safe, and I'd be dead, where I can't hurt the people that I love anymore. _

Andros curled up, his hand pressed to his mouth to muffle the sounds of his sobs. He buried his face in the pillow once again, almost wishing for death. He was the one who had been stupid enough to set Arrow free four years ago. He was the one who had failed to stop him only months ago. And Ashley was the one paying the price for all of his mistakes.

Andros dried his eyes with the blanket, and slipped out of bed, hardly daring to breathe as he crept into the bathroom. _This is probably the stupidest thing I've ever done, but I don't care anymore. I have to do **something.**_

There was only one small window in the bathroom, and upon closer examination, he found that it was much to small for him to fit through. It was better suited for someone of Ashley's proportions to climb through. Sighing, he turned, having no other alternative than the front door, jumping as he saw Alana standing in the doorway.

"Going somewhere?" she asked, her eyes glittering dangerously.

"Oh, I was just, um..."

"Andros, you can't leave," Alana exclaimed, and Andros winced. He'd had this exact conversation with Ashley the night he'd gone to the Dark Fortress in an attempt to stop Karone. Ashley had let him go, something that he very much doubted Alana was going to do.

"I have to try," he insisted. _Why did I just say that? What's wrong with me? _

"Do you **want** to die?" Alana demanded.

"All that matters to me is that I stop him from hurting Ashley," Andros responded coldly. "You can't stop me from going."

"Andros, if you do this, then you'll get yourself killed, and everything Ashley put herself through for you will all be for nothing."

"I won't get myself killed then," Andros said. Alana was right; if he died, then Arrow would have Ashley forever. The thought was enough to nearly change his mind, but not quite.

"I'll go with him."

"You'll what?" Alana and Andros demanded together, as Blaze appeared behind Alana.

"Before Arrow had my father executed, he had Killian's job. He showed me all the back doors into there, and all the secret passages in that building."

"You two won't leave there alive," Alana warned them, but she didn't seem ready to fight them any longer.

"Then come with us," Blaze said. "Arrow won't expect us to attack twice in one day."

"It's suicide," Alana protested. "There are other ways to get Ashley."

"Name one," Andros challenged her. Alana sighed, and said nothing.

"Alana," Blaze said quietly. "Alaia."

Alana glared at him, but her eyes changed. She glanced over her shoulder into the room where only Calan remained. "He stays here."

"Alana-" Blaze started to say, and sighed. "Fine."

Andros gave Blaze a curious look, but the black ranger shook his head. Blaze turned on his heel and led them out of the small house, and into the dark, silent streets. The soldiers were still on the street corners, so they moved slowly and as quietly as possible.

Andros wondered why they were going along with him, on a mission as dumb as this one. He knew why he was going, and he suspected that Blaze might have had it in his head to avenge his father, but he didn't truly believe that either Alana or Blaze had had a change of heart. He doubted that they were leading him into a trap, but he was still wary of them.

He knew it was useless, but he felt for Ashley with his mind, trying to reassure her, to tell her that he was coming for her. He was met by silence, as he knew that he would be, but knowing didn't make him feel any less empty.

**_POLL: Okay, if you remember Part 1, Andros and Ashley have a daughter named Angel. Who should Angel's biological father be, Arrow or Andros? I haven't quite decided, so you guys get to help me. Take your pick, vote once, and tell me why I should choose whoever you pick. Thanks:P_**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**TrueRomantic:** That's one for Andros... That would be really sweet. I was leaning towards Arrow, but now I'm starting to change my mind._

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** Another one for Andros... You don't need to reread Part 1 to understand Part 2. The first couple of chapters might be mentioned in Part 2, that's all. That said, reread it all:P_

_**Sailorjlita:** Another for Andros..._

_**Juzblue:** Antother for Andros... Their world is pretty messed up. They can't trust anyone, so they had to think up this plan to get Andros to be their red ranger. _

_**DizneeDol:** Another for Andros... It's okay that you didn't review:P_

_**JDPhoenix:** Another for Andros... I don't think you'll need to do anything that drastic as long as I do what you guys decided.. :P _

_**Jenny: **Another for Andros... I hate doing the dishes. It's okay that you didn't write a long review. I just needed you to vote. :P_

_A/N: Okay, wow, you guys all agreed on something! You all want Andros to be Angel's father. I'll think about that.._

Chapter 10

Ashley moaned when the lights came on, and kept her eyes shut tight. Several minutes later, she swallowed, and looked up, unable to keep relief from flooding her face when she saw that it was Killian, not Arrow.

Killian laughed softly, and Ashley glared back at him. "What do you want?"

"Arrow wished for me to wake you," he said.

"Then you can leave now," Ashley snapped, her voice much stronger than she felt. "Don't worry, I won't fall asleep before he shows up."

"You fear him," Killian said, his eyes narrowing, but his voice was curious. "You can try to hide it, but you fear him. Why did you agree to stay?"

"You know why," Ashley said dully. She'd had a different version of this conversation every night for the last two and a half weeks. "So he wouldn't kill Andros."

"He means that much to you?" Killian challenged her.

"If he didn't, would I be here right now?"

"Yes," Killian answered instantly. "Unless Arrow had killed you. I'm curious. You don't truly expect to be rescued, do you?"

Ashley drew her knees up to her chin and looked away. The ring around her head was giving her a headache. It rubbed against her skull whenever she moved, and whenever she tried to sleep, it put too much pressure on her head.

"Andros will keep trying," she said, staring at the floor, willing herself not to cry, as she did every time she said his name. "I know him. He won't stop until he rescues me."

"Or dies," Killian finished for her. Ashley glared at him, and he laughed. "If he was strong enough to fight Arrow, you wouldn't be here in the first place, Yellow Ranger."

"He is strong enough," Ashley said firmly, raising her eyes to his.

"You need to believe that he's strong," Killian told her. "You need to believe that he'll rescue you. But he's weak, and he'll never get in here to you. And even if he did, he'd take one look at you and leave you here."

"I love him," Ashley snapped. "And he loves me."

"Love is unimportant," Killian retorted. "Why should he still want you?"

Ashley looked away again, lowering her eyes. In her heart, she knew that whatever Killian and Arrow told her was meant to crush her, to break her spirit, but that didn't doubts from springing up in her mind.

If Andros saw her now, a part of her was saying, then he'd laugh at her and leave. He wouldn't want her after this. He shouldn't want her after this. She wasn't worth anything anymore.

The rest of her argued back, and the small part of her would quiet temporarily, but never truly go away, and she knew that it never would, at least not until she saw Andros again.

Killian laughed at her. "You know I'm telling you the truth."

Ashley shook her head stubbornly. Killian would continue taunting her until she broke down and cried, but she refused to cry, because then Killian would leave, and Arrow would come.

"I am," Killain insisted calmly. "Your precious Andros, the one who you did all this for, and did it willingly, he won't want you anymore. No one will want you."

"Andros loves me," Ashley said. "He'll want me."

"You sound so sure of yourself, Yellow Ranger," Killian said. "But even if he does want you at first, he'll change his mind later."

Ashley didn't say anything, wishing that he would just go away, and everything could be over faster. She rested her chin on top of her knees, trying to block out the sound of his voice, but it was impossible.

"He'll want someone pure," Killian was saying. "And what happens if you carry Arrow's child? Do you really think he'd raise a child that wasn't his? Do you really think you mean that much to him?"

"Go away!" Ashley wailed, tears finally leaking out of her eyes. She brushed them away angrily. It was at this point that Ashley always cracked. She knew Andros loved her, but she couldn't believe that he loved her enough to raise an evil overlord's child as his own.

The door slammed shut, and Ashley was alone, but she knew that it wouldn't be for long. Sure enough, less than a minute later, Arrow entered the room, and Ashley felt sick as he started towards her.

Halfway there, he stopped, staring intently at the wall, his eyes narrowed. "Did you hear something?" he demanded.

"N-no," Ashley muttered, her eyes fixed on the floor. She wondered why he continued staring at the wall. There was nothing there. There was nothing on any of the walls, besides cracked and peeling gray paint.

Arrow cast one more glance at the wall before crossing the room in two strides. He grabbed her by the wrists with one hand while he forced her down onto the cot with the other. Ashley closed her eyes, searching for somewhere in her mind where she could hide until he left.

Suddenly, Arrow stood up and released her, cursing loudly as there was a series of explosions from somewhere out in the hall. Ashley sat up, some wild hope springing up within her. Arrow shoved her down hard as he stormed over to the door. He slammed it shut behind him, and Ashley curled up, hoping that whoever was out there killed him.

"Ashley."

Her eyes flew open as a familiar voice spoke her name, a hand clamping down over her mouth before she could form a reply. Andros held a finger to his lips as he tugged on her arm. Ashley nodded her head dazedly, her eyes widening as she saw that a section of the wall was now hanging open. Andros shoved her in front of him, and Ashley found herself staring at a black ranger in the seconds before the door in the wall swung shut.

"This way," the voice inside the helmet hissed. "Silently."

The passageway was barely wide enough for one person, and Andros pushed Ashley in front of him, one of his hands finding hers, squeezing her fingers hard. They ran as quickly as they dared in the near darkness. Suddenly the ranger in front of her stopped, and Ashley could see that there was a wall in front of him.

"Alana says the hall is clear." He spoke in a deep, low voice. "She lured them to the other side of the palace, but it won't be long before Arrow realizes what happened. Follow me, and whatever you do, don't stop."

Ashley nodded, and they took off sprinting as the black ranger threw open the wall. They passed through several corridors, doubling back on themselves a number of times. They saw or heard no one, and after a few minutes they stopped again. The black ranger opened up another passageway, and they stepped in quickly. They went along a little ways before they stopped.

"Alana will be here in a few minutes," the black ranger said to them. "She'll have got them. You two stay here."

As he moved ahead of them, Andros turned to Ashley, burying his face in her hair as she started shaking uncontrollably.

"Don't cry," he muttered in her ear, holding her safe in his arms. "Not yet."

Ashley nodded her head against him, still shaking. "Andros," she whispered. There was so much that she wanted to say to him, but knew that if she did, she would break down and cry, and they weren't safe yet. Instead, she swallowed hard, and asked, "How do we get out of here?"

"We're going to try to sneak out the way Blaze got us in here," Andros told her, his grip on her still strong. "Blaze is the black ranger up there. Alana's the pink ranger. She was the one distracting them in the hall."

"Tell her she had good timing," Ashley whispered, shivering as she remembered how close Arrow had been to having her another time.

"I intend to," Andros replied, his voice wavering slightly, and Ashley realized that they had seen, or at least heard, everything that had happened in that room. She burrowed her face deeper into his neck as he whispered, "Hold still."

She felt him place both hands on the sides of her head, gently tugging loose the ring that had cut off Ashley's telepathy. Andros dropped it silently to the ground as Ashley tightened her arms around him, feeling his presence in the back of her mind, soothing her without meaning to.

"We can't get out the same way," Blaze said grimly, a pink ranger following him as he returned.

"Arrow went there first," Alana said, panting slightly from her run. "It's a good thing we decided to come here first."

"So how do we get out?" Andros asked, readjusting his hold on Ashley.

"I got these," Alana said, laughing silently as she held up her hands. "Blaze thought we might be needing them."

"What are they?" Andros asked.

"Keys," Alana replied vaguely, handing him the two small oblong metal objects. "Of a sort."

"Dimensional keys," Blaze elaborated. He hesitated. "Would you be willing to continue the fight in your own dimension?"

"Yes," Ashley replied instantly before Andros even had his mouth open. "I hate this place."

"So do I," Andros muttered. Now it was his turn to hesitate. "Would you be willing to come with us?"

"You'd want us to?" There was a hint of suspicion in Alana's voice. "Why?"

"Because we'll need you," Ashley said. "And because you want to."

She felt Andros's arms tighten around her for an instant as the two rangers spoke in hushed and worried tones.

"Trust is something we rely on in our world," Andros told them quietly. "We won't trap you."

"Alana?" Blaze asked softly. "What do you say?"

The pink ranger groaned quietly. "I'm not staying here alone with Calan."

"How do we open a mirror?" Andros asked them.

"You have to fit the keys together right." Alana was already fiddling with them. "But you need more space than we've got here."

"We can't use the hallways," Blaze protested. "That's suicide."

"So was this whole idea," Alana responded. "It only takes a few seconds."

"And you can guarantee us we'll end up back where we came from?" Andros asked, not wanting to repeat this misadventure somewhere else.

"These keys are programmed only for travel from our dimension to yours," Alana responded. "We can't take the keys with us, and we wouldn't be able to get back if we wanted to."

"Then it's a good thing that we don't want to."

"I've got it," Alana shouted in a whisperer. "Let's go."

Blaze threw open the wall again as they stepped out into the hallway. Alana threw the keys to the floor and a moment later a silver mirror had appeared. Andros's grip on Ashley was painfully tight as they stepped through together, but he might as well not have been holding her at all. As they fell through, they were ripped apart, and Ashley saw only darkness as she fell.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** You don't know for sure that Ashley's safe. Something could go wrong, or they could be shot at on the other side. Wait, that's the same as something going wrong... :P _

_**Juzblue:** Well, if you want Angel to be Andros's daughter, I can't leave her there any longer. :P_

_**DizneeDol:** Thanks. Relax, here's more. :P_

_**Annie:**I wasn't considering it all that seriously, don't worry, and since everyone seems to agree with you, it's probably safe to say that Angel is Andros's daughter. :P_

_**JDPhoenix:** You'll get the answer to one of your questions in this chapter. The others will have to wait. :P_

_**the-power-of-love:** Thanks, and another vote for Andros. :P_

_**Jenny:** Do I always rush the scenes where important stuff happens? I seriously can't tell! I don't want Subconscious to get his knives dirty. I'll be good, I swear. (And I already know I went smilie crazy again.) :P_

_**Kaci:** I agree with you, but no one else seems to, so I guess that it's Andros. But don't worry, I'll have another story where he's not. :P_

Chapter 11

Ashley groaned as she hit the ground hard, sprawled on her stomach. She'd landed on what felt like soft sand, and the soft winds blew it into her eyes. Blinking dazedly, she struggled to sit up, her eyes scanning the dark night.

"Andros?"

"I'm right here, Ash," she heard him say from behind her, and a second later, she saw him appear out of the darkness, crouching by her side. "You're not hurt, are you?"

She shook her head, and he helped her up, holding her close to him as he searched for Blaze and Alana. Staring out over his shoulder, Ashley squinted, and saw someone headed their way.

"Andros," she whispered. "There's someone over there."

By the time Andros had turned, there was a second figure alongside the first... and then a third.

"It's not Blaze and Alana," Andros muttered. "Ash, can-"

"Andros? Ashley?"

"Zhane?" Andros exclaimed.

"Andros!" A morphed silver ranger appeared at their side a moment later. "We were just starting to get worried about you."

"What? How long were we gone?"

"You guys were down here for about an hour," Zhane said, "and then you completely vanished for another three or so."

"Three hours?" Ashley repeated weakly. "But..."

Her voice trailed off at the sound of an Astroblaster firing. "Wait," Andros shouted. "Stop!"

"What's going on here?" TJ's voice called from somewhere off to their right. "Who are these two?"

"They're rangers," Andros called back. "We'll explain once we get back to the Megaship."

"Deca, teleport nine," Zhane said quietly into his communicator.

**The Megaship**

"What happened to you?" Karone demanded as she laid eyes on her brother, who was dressed in black pants and what looked like a red tunic, the uniform also worn by Alana and Blaze, who had demorphed as they had fallen through the mirror. Karone's eyes widened as she saw Ashley, whose yellow and silver flight suit was filthy and torn.

"We..."

Ashley started to speak, but then the realization that she was safe and far away from Arrow and Killian sunk in. Tears started streaming down her cheeks. Andros wrapped his arms around her protectively, holding her close as she cried, her face buried in his shoulder.

_"Ash, I love you,"_ she heard Andros tell her silently, and she realized that he was crying too hard to speak aloud. _"It's all right, you're safe now, and I'll die before I let anyone hurt you ever again."_

"I love you," she whispered in his ear.

Andros blinked back a fresh wave of tears and took several shaky breaths, pulling back to look into her eyes. "Let's get you out of here," he said softly. "I think you should go to the medical bay."

"Okay," Ashley whispered.

"Can I explain later?" Andros asked the others, who were doing a credible job acting as though they hadn't been staring. They nodded silently, their eyes flickering towards Blaze and Alana, who were standing together in the opposite corner of the room from the other Astro Rangers. "Um... you guys can talk to each other, you know."

"Hey, I'm Cassie." The pink Astro Ranger was the first to react, and crossed the room to introduce herself. Without looking back, Andros lifted Ashley up into his arms and carried her off of the bridge.

"Andros?" Ashley asked softly. He looked at her as best he could; her arms around his neck were nearly strangling him. "Can I go to my room first? I want to take a shower."

Andros nodded wordlessly, and looked away, but not before Ashley had seen the tears in his eyes, and knew that he understood. Before she did anything else, she had to wash the feel of him off of her... if she ever could.

Andros set her down gentlly in her room. "I'll wait right here for you, okay?"

"Okay," Ashley whispered, suddenly afraid to let go of him. She took a deep breath and stepped back, her gaze lingering on him.

"I'm not going anywhere," Andros assured her, settling down on her bed. "See?"

Ashley nodded shakily, and stepped into the bathroom. When she emerged an hour and a half later, Andros was still sitting on her bed, his eyes focused on his hands. His head snapped up when she came back into the room, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her wordlessly for a long time.

"Can't I just sleep?" Ashley whispered. "I don't want to go to the medical bay."

"Sleep," Andros said after a moment, releasing her as she climbed into bed.

"Stay with me," Ashley pleaded, as he turned to go. "Please don't leave."

Andros turned back, kneeling down by her side. "Ash, I'll be right back, I promise. I just want to go tell the others what happened so they'll be ready to fight again."

"All of what happened?"

"I won't tell them if you don't want me to," Andros said, squeezing her hand.

"You can tell them," Ashley said a moment later. "They'll figure it out anyway. You know that he'll try to... try to get me again."

"We'll never let him," Andros whispered, swallowing hard. "I'll be back in half an hour at the most, I promise. Will you be all right?"

"I'll be fine," Ashley told him. That part was true. She knew that, tired as she was, she wouldn't be able to sleep until he returned, and she would be fine until she slipped into nightmares.

"I'll be right back," Andros repeated. He hated to leave her, but he wanted to tell the others what had happened himself, and not have them told everything by Blaze and Alana.

He found the Astro Rangers and Karone sitting on the bridge, conversing in low tones. All conversation died away as he approached, and he was fixed with five curious looks. Andros sighed.

"Where are Alana and Blaze?"

"Guestrooms," Carlos said. "What's going on? They were a little vague on the details."

"We were ambushed," Andros said. "Do you guys remember Arrow?"

"He was that dark ranger, right?" TJ said after a pause.

Andros nodded, sinking down into one of the seats. "He was behind it. Ashley and I were captured, and he brought us to his dimension. Arrow ordered the captain of his guards to kill me, and then Ashley..." Karone laid a hand on his arm as he choked. He shook his head, managing to say, "I'm okay."

"We're back to being rangers now, right?" Zhane asked, giving Andros a few seconds to recover his voice. The red ranger nodded.

"Please," he said. "I can understand if you guys don't want to fight, but..."

"We never really wanted to fight in the first place," Cassie pointed out. "But we're a team, Andros. Always."

"What happened down there?" Zhane asked him. "I've never once heard you ask for help, whether you needed it or not."

"He - Arrow told Ashley that he'd let me live if she stayed with him," Andros said quietly, the expressions on their faces telling him that they understood too clearly what he hadn't said. When he continued, his voice was angry. "She said yes, and then... I didn't see her again until tonight. She was there for almost three weeks, because of me."

"He's a dead monster," TJ said gravely.

"Don't worry, man," Zhane added. "We'll show him that we take care of each other."

Cassie nodded her agreement. "You can go now. I know you want to be with her."

Andros looked at her gratefully and left quickly. When he got to Ashley's room, she was curled up on her bed, but her eyes shone at him through the darkness. She was crying, silently this time, and Andros pulled her into his arms, holding her wordlessly as she buried her face in his chest.

"I love you," Ashley whispered after a long time.

"I know you do," Andros whispered back as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you so much, Ash."

"They tried to tell me that you didn't." Ashley's voice was slightly muffled with her face pressed against him, but Andros heard her clearly, and gently tilted her chin up towards him.

"I'll always love you, Ash," he promised her softly. "Always, no matter what."

"Always," he heard Ashley whisper.

"Sleep, Ash," Andros told her, tightening his grip on her slightly. "You need rest."

"I can't sleep," Ashley whispered.

"Why not?" he questioned her gently.

"He'll be there," she answered immediately.

"I won't leave you, Ash," Andros assured her. "I'll wake you up if you start having nightmares."

"Promise?"

"I promise," he said solemnly. "Sleep now, Ash, and I'll be here when you wake up."

Andros wasn't quite sure what compelled him to add the last part, but it must have been what Ashley needed to hear. He felt her body relax, and soon her breathing was even and slow, even if the expression on her face was uneasy.

"I love you, Ash," Andros whispered one last time before falling into a half-dozing state of his own.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Juzblue:** Blaze and Alana do some interacting in this chapter. Blaze is generally more trusting than Alana, but she's got her reasons for that. _

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** Thanks... What second mission? (I'm probably just asking this because I'm sleep deprived, and have enough trouble seeing the obvious anyway, but help me out a little, okay?) :P_

_**Kaci:** Thanks, the other story will be out after my next one, I think._

_**JDPhoenix: **Some people never learn how to let go of their grudges... I know some people who could use puppies like that. :P_

_**Jenny:** Thanks, and I always update soon, as long as my computer happens to be working. :P_

_**DizneeDol:** Thanks, here's some more. :P_

Chapter 12

Her first clue that she wasn't in the palace was the feel of two strong arms wrapped securely around her waist. Ashley opened her eyes slowly, hoping that it hadn't all been a dream. When she found herself staring into Andros's loving hazel eyes, she buried her face in his chest, never wanting to be anywhere else but safe in his arms.

"Did you sleep all right?" he asked, stroking her hair with one hand. "Any nightmares?"

Ashley shook her head, her face still hidden against him. Pulling back to look up into his eyes, she hesitated. "Andros? When you and Blaze were hiding in the wall, could you see everything?"

"I couldn't see anything," Andros said after a long pause. "But I could hear everything."

"That's what I was afraid of," Ashley mumbled, looking away. "Andros, you're not here because you feel guilty, are you? Because if you are -"

"I'm here because I love you," Andros interrupted, grasping her chin gently so he could look into her eyes. "I love you, Ash."

A moment later, he was surprised to feel the gentle pressure of Ashley's lips against his own. Startled, he pulled back, and Ashley glanced away, shifting uncomfortably, easing out of his arms.

"I'm sorry," Andros said softly. "Ash, I'm scared I'm going to hurt you, and if I ever did, then I'd -"

"But you didn't," Ashley broke in, meeting his eyes again. She sighed. "Andros, I stayed there of my own free will, and somehow, that makes it easier to accept what happened. It still hurts, but I... I can live with it, I guess."

Andros nodded, lowering his face to hers for the gentlest kiss Ashley could remember. Then it was his turn to look away, as he said hesitantly, "Ash, I heard everything that Killian was saying to you, and... I'll always love you. I'll always want you. And... and if there is a... a baby, then I... if you wanted me to, I..."

He stopped talking, knowing that he was doing a miserable job of it. Ashley nodded, unable to think of a reply. She knew what he was trying to say, and wished that it was true.

"It is time to wake up," Deca put in, and Andros sighed.

"You can stay here if you want," he said as he climbed out of bed. Ashley shook her head and stood up.

"I know," she said. "But I don't want to hide in here."

Andros drew her into a fierce hug. "Ash, I love you."

"I love you, Andros," Ashley whispered back to him as he released her. She'd grown accustomed to walking hand in hand with Andros, but she reached for his hand less out of habit than out of need. He squeezed her fingers gently, and they left the room.

**The holding bay**

"Morning," Ashley said softly as they entered the holding bay, unconsciously edging closer to Andros as a sudden quiet fell over the other rangers. He draped an arm around her, leading her to her seat without a word. Andros ordered them both some food and sat down next to her as she started to eat.

"You guys can keep talking, you know," he said a moment later, as the uneasy silence grew.

"Sorry," Cassie said, looking sheepish. "We just weren't sure if..."

She stopped, and looked to Zhane for help. The sliver ranger had no problem articulating what the pink ranger could not, and said bluntly, "We just weren't sure if Ash would freak out every time we said 'Arrow,' and if she didn't, we were pretty sure that you, Andros, would get angry, storm out of the room, and attempt to kill him yourself."

"I won't freak out hearing his name," Ashley assured them calmly, although Andros could feel how close to freaking out she truly was. "Fighting against him might be something different, though."

Andros was saved from making an equally false statement when Alana and Blaze appeared in the doorway, glancing around warily. "This room is used for eating?" Blaze asked.

"Among other things," TJ replied, gesturing over his shoulder at the Galaxy Gliders. "We use it to store our gliders."

"Are you guys hungry?" Karone asked them. "Deca will make you whatever you like."

"Anything?" Alana looked at them suspiciously.

"Anything," Carlos confirmed. "As long as you're not TJ or Zhane."

"Why's that?" Alana asked, apparently deciding to let Blaze eat first. If he didn't die within the next five minutes, Andros had a hunch that she would be eating as well.

"Well," Karone said, "Zhane plays too many pranks, and TJ... she just doen't like."

"I see," Alana nodded, still looking a little wary, but she edged closer to them as Blaze sat down at the table between TJ and Cassie. "When do we attack Arrow?"

"We can't until he shows up," Carlos said. "And we don't know when that will be."

"It better be soon," Zhane muttered, shooting a glance at Andros that the red ranger pointedly ignored. "Until then, you can use the Simudecks to train."

"Simudeck?" Blaze repeated.

"You can program it to be anything you like," Karone explained.

"That way you can practice fighting against your enemy and be able to stop if you get over your head," Zhane added, his eyes sliding towards Andros yet again. This time, his friend stared back at him until he looked away.

"It can simulater Arrow?"

"It can simulate anything," Zhane confirmed.

"This ship is huge," Blaze remarked. "We have nothing like this."

"You're welcome to use anything on it," Andros said. "As long as Deca approves."

Alana had finally selected some food, and she chose a spot between Blaze and Cassie, sitting considerably closer to Blaze. "Will we all be fighting together?"

"Of course," Cassie exclaimed. "We're all on the same team now."

"We are?" Alana exchanged glances with Blaze before looking at Cassie, who rolled her eyes.

"You two," she said, "are starting to remind me of Andros."

"We are?" Alana's expression was skeptical.

"The old Andros, anyway," she said, and stopped talking abruptly. The old, untrusting Andros had vanished once Ashley had broken through to the person buried inside, and Cassie had a feeling that was something that he would rather not be thinking about right now, not when he was also beating himself up for not protecting Ashley. It wouldn't take much convincing for Andros to believe that he wasn't good enough for her, and if he arrived at that conclusion, he would end up hurting Ashley far more than anyone else ever could.

"What she means is, you two gotta learn to lighten up," TJ said, changing the course of the conversation enough for Cassie to be immensely grateful. "I don't know what it was like in your dimension, but here, when we're not fighting, we try to have fun. Live a little."

"What do you do for fun?" Blaze asked curiously, ignoring Alana's sharp glare.

"Are you done eating?" Zhane asked. Blaze's plate was empty, and Alana shoved hers away, nodding as he did. "Then come on, we'll show you guys around."

"We'll catch up to you guys," Andros said as the others pushed back their chairs and stood, following Zhane, Blaze, and Alana.

"Okay," TJ called over his shoulder.

"Ash?" Andros asked gently. Ashley shook her head and shoved away a plate still full of food.

"Do you think they're uncomfortable around me?" Ashley asked so softly he almost didn't hear her. "Or was I just imagining it?"

"I don't think you were imagining it," Andros said slowly. "But I don't think they're doing it on purpose."

"Then why did they all stop talking when I came in?"

"I think they were telling the truth when they said they didn't know how you'd react," Andros said after a moment. "If you talk to them, I think they'll calm down, or I could talk to them, if you want."

Ashley shook her head. "Thanks, but I think I'd better do it myself. That way, I'll know that they aren't just being nice to me because you made them."

She spoke calmly and rationally, but Andros knew how badly she was hurting. He opened his mouth to say something to comfort her, but anything he could have said wouldn't have made a difference. He stood up, pulling Ashley to her feet, and then into his arms.

"Thank you," Ashley whispered several minutes later, stepping back. In answer, Andros kissed her gently, and slipped his hand into hers.

"Come on, Ash," he said as they left the holding bay. "We've got some work to do."


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** I know, Andros is so sweet! I love him. :sighs: But he's not real. :wails: You'll love the chapter after this one even more. Or maybe the chapter after the next chapter :P_

_**Juzblue:** I'm glad you liked the interacting. Here's more. :P_

_**DizneeDol:** Thanks, here's more, sorry I made you wait for it. :P_

_**JDPhoenix:** In long term yes, in short term no._

_**C.C.C.:** Soon? You could say that. :P_

_**the-power-of-love:** Thanks, here's more. :P_

_**Jenny:** Wedding? What wedding? Ashley's not even pregnant yet:P_

_**Melissa:** Yay, you're back! Well, sort of. Glad you had fun, here's some more. :P_

Chapter 13

"Deca, begin simulation," Andros called. Grid lines appeared over every inch of the room, and seconds later, the Simudeck had taken on the characteristics of the desert planet they were currently in orbit around. A simulated villian appeared a moment later, programmed to attack as the real Arrow would.

"Let's rocket!" the Astro Rangers shouted together, as Alana and Blaze morphed as well. The morpher Andros had used in the other dimension, he had offered to Karone, who accepted it, and promptly manipulated it to morph her into the purple ranger.

"Attack," Andros ordered, and they sprang forward together. They outnumbered Arrow nine to one, making the battle all to easy, but the real Arrow would have Killian fighting alongside him, as well as a number of other soldiers. Andros was reluctant to simulate Killian without more knowledge of how he fought, so he substituted a number of Quantrons for Arrow's soldiers.

_This isn't so bad,_ Ashley thought as she dodged the Quantrons, her eyes fixed on the simulated Arrow. _I can do this._

She wondered how different it would be to fight against the real Arrow. She wasn't afraid of him, exactly, she was more angry than anything else, but Ashley had learned that in a fight, anger was worse than fear.

_Almost as bad as getting distracted,_ she thought ruefully as Andros blocked for her.

_"Are you all right?" _he asked her silently, concern evident in his tone.

_"Don't worry,"_ she told him. _"I'm okay."_

If she could have seen his face, Ashley knew that he would be giving her a skeptical look, but he merely nodded and moved away, remaining close enough to rush to her side if she got herself into trouble.

Blaze and Alana were strong fighters, if a little too ruthless, she observed, her mind wandering from the fight yet again. There was nothing that they wouldn't do to take down their enemy, even if it meant hurting themselves or each other in the process.

"Stop simulation," Andros called twenty minutes later. The last of the Quantrons vanished as he ended the program, and the rangers demorphed. "That's enough for now. We'll try again this afternoon."

"All right," TJ said. He turned to Blaze and Alana. "You two go get changed and showered and all that, and then we'll all show you what having fun is."

"I think I'm just going to go to my room for awhile," Ashley said, just as Deca's alarm blared.

"Arrow's presence has been detected on the surface," she announced.

"Thanks, Deca," Andros said as they morphed again. "Teleport nine."

_"Are you all right?" _Andros repeated his earlier question to Ashley as they landed, feeling her distress.

_"Yeah,"_ she answered distantly. _"I'm fine."_

Andros edged closer to her, determined to never let anyone lay a hand on her ever again. Arrow laughed at him from behind his dark gray helm. "You've already failed her once, Red Ranger."

_"Andros,"_ Zhane warned. _"Let it go."_

_"Never,"_ Andros snapped back, springing forward, his Spiral Saber drawn. The other rangers moved quickly to join him, and a full-fledged battle was soon raging.

Besides Killian, Arrow had brought along a dozen of his soldiers to even the odds. Blaze and Alana didn't hesitated to take them down, but the Astro Rangers had their qualms about taking human lives.

The true battle was between Andros, Ashley, and Arrow. Every time the dark ranger moved to attack the red ranger, he found himself blocked by the yellow ranger, who wanted revenge of her own. Likewise, every time Arrow attempted to knock Ashley out of the way, Andros attacked him from the other side.

Andros leapt forward as he saw Arrow move towards Ashley just as Arrow spun around, firing, grazing his shoulder with laser fire. Andros stumbled and fell as Arrow advanced on him, making the mistake of ignoring Ashley, who sprang at him from the side, kicking away the blaster. Andros scrambled to his feet, but too slow, and Arrow jumped up, planting both his feet firmly in Ashley's stomach, sending her sprawling and gasping for breath, giving him time to retreive his blaster.

"Ash, get up," Andros shouted, knowing it was no use.

Alana got to Arrow before Andros did, and grabbed for his arm, knocking him off balance just enough for the laser fire to hit Ashley's ribs, instead of her heart. The shot was enough to demorph her, and Arrow flung both Alana and the blaster aside, drawing his sword.

Andros had recovered himself and flew towards them, but found himself blocked by Killian. The recipient of a hurricane kick, Andros staggered back, unable to do anything but watch helplessly as Arrow's sword descended on Ashley.

"Ashley!" he screamed, growing cold with fear as Arrow laughed triumphantly. Ashley was lying on her side now; she'd tried to throw herself out of the way, but had ended up on her right side, the left side taking the blow. She was motionless, her face covered with blood.

Arrow, Killian, and the footsoldiers vanished as Andros fell to his knees beside Ashley, cradling her body in his arms, tears filling his eyes. She was still alive, but he'd promised her that he would protect her. He'd promised himself that he would die before he let anyone harm her again, and he had still failed her.

"Come on," Karone said anxiously, helping him stand while keeping Ashley steady. "She'll be all right."

Andros only nodded, wishing that instead of the mild stinging sensation he felt whenever Ashley was hurting he could take her pain away. It was his fault that she was hurt again.

Karone had Deca teleport them directly into the medical bay, and Ashley seemed to stir a little as the Megaship materialized around them. Andros thought it was just his imagination, but her eyes fluttered open as Andros set her down gently on the patient bed. Pulling her into a half sitting position, he propped her up as Karone forced a few pain relievers down her throat.

"A- Andros..." Ashley mouthed his name more than she whispered it, moaning as she tried to move. Andros was surprised she wasn't screaming with pain; her left cheek was split open, and the blaster had been set at its highest setting when Arrow had fired at her.

"Don't talk, Ash," Andros whispered, easing her onto her right side. He slipped his left hand into her right hand, and felt her fingers clamp down around his as she tried not to scream. "You'll be okay, I promise."

"I got some towels," Cassie said, pressing a wet cloth into Andros's free hand, trying very hard not to look at her best friend's face. "Hang in there, Ash."

"We'll take care of the burns," Zhane volunteered, motioning to himself and Carlos, who was already looking for bandages.

Andros touched the towel to Ashley's face, wincing as she whimpered in pain. Her nails dug into his skin as he moved it over her cheek. "I'm sorry," he muttered, trying to remember how long it took the pain relievers to take effect.

"S'okay," Ashley mumbled, holding onto his hand so tightly that she was hurting her own fingers. Andros saw her biting her lip to keep from crying out, and tried to finish quickly.

"Here," TJ said, holding up a bottle of alcohol. "Want me to do it?"

Andros nodded, taking Ashley's other hand as TJ stepped around to the other side of the bed.

"This is going to sting, Ash," TJ warned.

Ashley cried out as the liquid touched her skin, trying to twist away. "Stop," she moaned, feeling Andros let go of her hands to gently hold her down. Dropping the bandages he was using, Carlos held her from the other side to keep her from rolling off of the bed. "Don't do that anymore."

"Ash, we don't want you to bleed to death," Andros said gently, taking her hand again. "We can't close up the wound if you don't let us clean it first."

"How are you closing it up?" Ashley asked fearfully, not at all liking the idea of having her face sewn up. She was in enough pain already.

"Don't worry," Andros assured her, squeezing her hand. "That part won't hurt, I promise. Karovans don't use stitches."

"Ash?" Karone asked hesitantly. "Healing magic isn't exactly my specialty, but if you wanted me to try-"

She broke off when Ashley nodded. Andros shot his sister a grateful look as she took Ashley's face in her hands, purple sparkles flowing from her fingertips into the deep cut on Ashley's cheek. A moment later, she pulled back, frowning, but not dissatisfied.

"It's not as much as I hoped I could do," she admitted, "but now you just need to bandage it. I think it'll scar, though."

"It'll scar," Andros confirmed, thinking of the day that he and Ashley had spent with their future selves, what felt like years ago, but what in reality was only six months.

Ashley's older self had had the same scar, and now Andros understood why his older self had nearly told them the future.

"It doesn't hurt as much," Ashley said, raising one hand to touch her face experimentally, grimacing when she saw the blood that now covered her fingers. Cassie handed her a washcloth to clean off her hand as Andros wiped away the blood remaining on her face, pressing an adhesive bandage to her skin as gently as he could.

"That's as much as we can do," he said, stepping back.

"Yeah, we're done, too," Zhane said. "You know, Ash, maybe you'll get something out of this."

"Like what?" Ashley challenged him. Zhane grinned.

"The blaster burned straight through your clothes," he explained. "Now you'll have to go shopping."

"But I was wearing my flight suit," Ashley told him.

"Do you know how many stores you'll have to stop at before you find another jacket like this one?" Zhane demanded. "You're gonna have to drag Andros to every store in Angel Grove."

A small smile appeared on Ashley's face. "Thanks, Zhane."

"That's what I'm here for," the silver ranger grinned. "We'll leave you alone now. Get some rest."

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" Andros asked her. Ashley shook her head before he was done speaking. "Is it all right if I leave for just a minute?"

Ashley nodded, closing her eyes. "It's all right."

Careful not to hurt her, Andros placed a gentle kiss on her lips before leaving the medical bay. "Deca, where are Alana and Blaze?"

"They are in the spare rooms," Deca replied.

"Thanks, Deca," Andros responded, heading there as quickly as he could. Alana opened the door when he knocked, and let him in. Blaze was sitting on the floor of her room, and looked up when he entered.

"Thanks for making him miss that shot," Andros said softly to Alana. "You saved her life."

"Oh," Alana said, surprise written across her face. "You're welcome."

Andros hesitated before he spoke again. "Can I ask you something?"

Alana's wary look was back. "What?"

"Who's Alaia?" Andros asked, wanting to know what had made Alana help rescue Ashley. "Back in your dimension..."

"She was my sister," Alana told him. She sighed. "You might have noticed that we didn't have a yellow ranger."

"Alaia was your yellow ranger?"

Alana nodded, her eyes darkening. "Calan and Alaia were in love, at least until Arrow captured Alaia. Then..."

"Oh," Andros said, understanding dawning on him as he remembered Alana's reaction to Calan's statement that Andros shouldn't want Ashley. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," Alana sighed.

"I've got to go," Andros said a moment later as the silence grew uneasy. "I just wanted to thank you for saving her."

"You're welcome," Alana said again, as Andros left the room.

Ashley was asleep when Andros returned to the medical bay. A soft sigh passed through his lips as he saw her, and guilt slowly settled over him again. He should have protected her...


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Juzblue:** Why her face? Because I gave future Ashley a scar on her face, and I aleady told someone that Arrow did it, and I didn't really think about that until yesterday when I was writing it. :P_

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** Yes, you do. :P_

_**C.C.C:** Yup, Andros is feeling guilty. I love doing that. :P_

_**Jenny:** When will Andros learn? By the end of the story, if he's lucky. :P_

_**the-power-of-love:** Thanks, here's more. _

_**Red Ranger Chick:** Thanks. _

_**DizneeDol:** Thanks. This soon enough?_

_**JDPhoenix:** Thanks, here's some more. You'll find out what Arrow does later._

_**Melissa:** Okay, tell me all about your brothers. :P_

Chapter 14

Ashley slowly peeled the bandage off of her skin, wincing as she saw herself in the bathroom mirror. In the three days since she had been wounded, the other rangers had found excuses to change the bandages for her, but Ashley had grown tired of the tactic quickly. She wanted to know what she looked like now.

It wasn't as bad as the others had made it out to be, she decided, studying her face carefully. With help from Karone's magic, it would heal quickly, and was already much better. A single blow from Arrow's sword had sliced across her cheek diagonally, from just below her left temple to about an inch below the left corner of her bottom lip.

It wouldn't be completely hideous when it healed, she remembered. The future Ashley had had this scar... but she'd also had Andros. Ashley tried to smile, trying to convince herself that she and Andros would end up the same way.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall," she muttered, struck with the sudden urge to laugh.

"What?"

Ashley jumped as Andros appeared in the bathroom doorway. "You scared me!"

"I'm sorry," he said. "I thought you said something."

"It's nothing," Ashley said, staring down at her hands. "Just something out of a fairy tale. The evil queen asks the magic mirror who the most beautiful girl in the world is."

"You are," Andros replied instantly, crossing the room to gather her in his arms. "You're beautiful, Ash."

"You mean that?" Ashley asked, staring up into his eyes, but unable to find anything to give her cause to doubt his sincerity. "You don't think I'm ugly?"

"Do you think you're ugly?" Andros asked her knowingly, not surprised when she looked away. "Ash, I think you're beautiful."

"But the scar," Ashley mumbled, still not looking at him. "It's huge."

"I don't care," Andros tried to convince her. "It doesn't make you ugly, Ash."

"It doesn't?" Ashley stared at her reflection dubiously.

"No," Andros said firmly.

"So you still want me?"

"I'll always want you," Andros said, taking her hands. He hesitated and added quietly, "As long as you still want me."

"What?" Ashley stared at him in confusion. "Why wouldn't I?"

Andros gestured towards her face. "I promised you I'd protect you, and I didn't, and then you got hurt because of me. Again."

"Andros, that's not how it happened," Ashley protested. "This wasn't your fault."

"Maybe not," Andros said, "but I still should have tried harder to stop him."

"Andros, this wasn't your fault," Ashley said. "Why won't you believe me?"

"Why don't you believe me," Andros countered, "when I tell you that you're beautiful?"

"Because I can't see it," Ashley admitted. Andros sighed and handed her another bandage.

"Put this on," he said. She pressed it to her cheek, surprised when Andros covered her hand with his own.

"Now can you see it?" Ashley stared at herself in the mirror for a long time, and then slowly shook her head. Andros sighed, and dropped his hand. "Then will you just trust me when I say that there is no one more beautiful than you are?"

"Only if you'll trust me when I say that it wasn't your fault," Ashley said after a brief pause.

Andros stared at her for a long time before he nodded. "I can do that."

"Then I believe you," Ashley said, leaning into him as he pulled her into his arms. "Andros, I love you so much."

"I love you, Ashley," he whispered in her ear, wishing that he deserved her love. He pulled her closer to him, until her body was close enough for him to feel her heart beating in time with his own. They stood wrapped in each others arms long enough for Andros to start thinking that Ashley had fallen asleep standing up, and he jumped when she spoke.

"Andros?" she asked suddenly. "Do you believe in soulmates?"

Andros pulled back enough just enough to be able to see her eyes. Ashley suddenly looked hopeful, and her eyes were brighter than they had been in days. She couldn't possibly be asking him if he thought that they were soulmates.

"For some people," Andros said after a long pause. As he stood there, staring into Ashley's eyes, it was all too easy to believe what she was saying, and almost enough for him to believe that she was the other half of himself.

"That's what I said, too," Ashley said, her face breaking into a smile. At Andros's look, she explained, "Zhane asked me, months ago, if I believed in soulmates. I said I did for some people, and he said that with telepaths, it's easy to tell who those people are, because they're bonded so closely that they can't live without each other."

"You... you think we're soulmates?"

Ashley nodded. "I can't think of any other reason why..."

Her smile disappeared as quickly as it had come, and Andros saw tears forming in her eyes. Brushing them away with his fingers he asked, "Why what?"

"I can't think of any other reason why just standing here with you makes everything okay again," Ashley whispered. "It shouldn't, but somehow it does."

"It does?" Andros repeated, unable to tear his eyes away from her, realizing that Ashley needed him just as much as he needed her.

Ashley nodded. "You're the only person that can make me feel safe," she said, speaking into his ear. "Whenever I'm with you, it's like you take away everything I don't want to be feeling."

"I do?"

Ashley nodded, an anxious look taking over her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I know it's crazy, but I just wanted you to know."

"It's not crazy, Ash," Andros said softly. "It's what you do for me."

"I love you," Ashley whispered, throwing her arms around his neck, nearly strangling him with her hug.

"Ash, I love you," Andros whispered back, squeezing her as hard as he dared. Ashley raised her face to his, kissing him, a little more insistently than she'd intended to, but not regretting it as he returned the kiss. She kissed him again as they walked out of the bathroom, suddenly knowing how she wanted this night to end.

"Don't leave," she muttered against his lips, feeling him turn towards the door.

Andros stared at her for a moment, longing in his eyes as Ashley pressed her mouth to his again. "Are you sure, Ash?"

Ashley's only response was a long kiss. Taking that as a yes, Andros slipped his arms around her as he kissed her back. Ashley tightened her arms around his neck as he lifted her up, setting her down gently on her bed.

Andros was as gentle and loving with her as he had been every other time before, leaving it impossible for Ashley to have even the smallest lingering doubts that he wasn't the other half of her soul.

_A/N: Happy now? _


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** You're not being annoying. But it's lots of fun being annoying. :P I love your song. Now all I have to do is write the chapter that goes with it..._

_**Juzblue:** Yeah, you should have seen it coming. :P Here's more, sorry I made you wait a little while for it. _

_**JDPhoenix:** See, I'm not all dark and depressing. :P_

_**C.C.C:** I love making Andros feel guilty! It's so much fun. He feels less guilty, anyway, but he still thinks that he should have protected Ashley. I understand you fine, don't worry. :P_

_**Jenny:** I was actually leaning towards Arrow being the father, so if you joke about it before I put up the ending, I might just take you seriously. :P Andros might learn something in this chapter._

_**the-power-of-love:** Thanks, here's more. _

_**DizneeDol:** Thanks._

_**Sandra:** Yes, she's pregnant, but she doesn't know it, and that doesn't mean it's Andros's kid. But there will be a happy ending. :P_

_**Melissa:** Sure, talk about your brothers. I want to know just how un-normal mine is. :P_

_**Mz. Daydream:** I'm not telling. :P_

Chapter 15

"That's Arrow again," Zhane sighed as Deca sounded the alarm. In the last two weeks, they had fought Arrow at least once a day, but it seemed to be getting them nowhere. Blaze and Alana were the only ones who would kill the footsoldiers, and with the way Arrow and Killian fought, Zhane didn't think that there would be any opportunity to kill them for a long time.

"At least Ashley's going to fight," Karone murmured as the yellow ranger appeared on the bridge, followed by Andros, who hadn't appeared to leave her side since she'd been injured. Deca had finally declared her recovered enough to return to her ranger duties. "Maybe that'll keep him from killing himself."

"He'd die defending her," TJ warned.

"Let's just hope he won't need to," Cassie put in. "But he's scaring me."

"You guys ready?" Andros asked, oblivious to their words about him, which in the end was very fortunate for them. "Let's go."

Moments later, they were morphed and down on the surface. Arrow was waiting for them, his sneer hidden by his helmet, but there all the same. He drew his blaster and fired, forcing them to break up into several smaller groups.

Alana and Blaze took on the footsoldiers, moving with lightning-fast blows. TJ, Zhane, and Karone went after Killian, aided by Cassie and Carlos, who attacked from the opposite side. That left Andros and Ashley pitted against Arrow, which was not the best battle plan that the rangers had ever come up with, but so far it was effective.

"Come any closer, and I'll get the rest of your pretty face," Arrow spat at Ashley. The yellow ranger ignored him, or at least pretended to, and fired her Star Slinger, giving Andros the time he needed to get in a clear shot with his powered up Spiral Saber.

Andros stuck as close to Ashley as he could without impeding her ability to fight. The rational part of his mind told him that she was a ranger, and could defend herself in most cases better than he could protect himself, but the rest of him wanted her far away from danger.

Arrow fired several times in succession, the first shot throwing Ashley several feet backwards, but the rest making contact with Andros, who collapsed ot the ground, wincing as he tried to stand up again.

In a flash, Ashley was at his side, firing furiously at Arrow, buying Andros time to recover. The red ranger groaned, and flipped himself onto his stomach, pushing himself up onto his knees before stumbling to his feet.

_"You okay?"_

_"I'm fine," _he assured Ashley, though he clearly wasn't.

Zhane and TJ had rushed over to help them, and blocked Arrow's path to Ashley as she picked up Andrors's discarded Spiral Saber.

_"Mind if I borrow this?"_

_"Go ahead,"_ Andros told her, letting Karone slip a supporting arm under his shoulders. Ashley joined TJ and Carlos, wielding the Spiral Saber with surprising skill, managing to land several slashing blows that sent Arrow stumbling.

Arrow exchanged his blaster for his sword, driving the three of them back. Ashley leapt backwards into a back handspring, once again blasting Arrow with her Star Slinger. Carlos's Lunar Lance came down hard on Arrow's other side.

The footsoldiers were long gone, and Alana and Blaze joined them as the rangers closed in on Killian and Arrow. Killian swung his sword in a wide arc, managing to graze Cassie, TJ, and Zhane.

Zhane stumbled back, winded by another blow. Killian advanced towards him, and found his way blocked by Ashley, who drove him back, firing constantly at him with her Star Slinger.

Andros struggled away from Karone, slowly returning to the fight. No matter what happened, he had to keep fighting. He had to stop Arrow before someone else close to him was hurt. He couldn't stop now.

Killian and Arrow were standing almost back to back, and slowly, they each started pressing forward, allowing Arrow to cut Ashley and Zhane off from the rest of the team.

"Ash, look out," Zhane warned, knowing that Andros was likely to kill him if she was hurt again.

"Zhane, I'm fine," Ashley assured him, hoisting her Star Slinger up as she prepared to fire again. "I'm better off than you are."

As if to prove her point, Zhane was the one who fell under the next round of laser fire, and Ashley stepped in front of him, glaring at Arrow through her visor, firing, and landing several shots.

"Surrender yet, Yellow Ranger?" Arrow sneered, firing at her. Ashley ducked, and Arrow shot forward, snatching away the Star Slinger.

"I'll never surrender," Ashley snapped. "Not to you."

"You would choose death?"

"Surrender to you is worse than death."

Ashley had had enough talking, and reached for the Spiral Saber again, slashing upwards with it. Arrow was caught off guard, and Ashley drove him back. Zhane leaped up as Andros reached them. Ashley handed the Spiral Saber back to Andros.

"Spiral Saber power up," he shouted, blasting Arrow, and retrieving Ashley's Star Slinger. He offered it to her, and she accepted it gratefully.

"You can't protect her, Red Ranger," Arrow hissed, sidestepping Andros to fire at Ashley.

"He doesn't need to," Ashley snapped, dodging the blow. "I can take care of myself."

"Andros, look out," Zhane shouted, moving to put himself between Killian and Andros, but it was too late, and he watched in dread as Andros stumbled sideways, falling against Ashley. She dropped her weapon, supporting him as the rangers who had been fighting Killian stepped between her and Arrow.

"I'm fine," Andros muttered, shaking himself free, reaching for his Spiral Saber. "Let me go."

Killian and Arrow were closed in by the other rangers, and deciding that they had had enough for one day they teleported themselves away to wait for the next day, and the next battle. The rangers returned to the Megaship, exhausted, but not defeated.

"Good job, you guys," Cassie said with a weak smile.

"Yeah," Ashley agreed tiredly. "That wasn't bad."

"I guess not," Alana agreed, sounding timid for once.

"Hey, where'd Andros go?" Zhane wondered.

"Andros is on the Simudeck," Deca informed them. "He is about to begin Training Simulation Level 5."

"After that fight?" Zhane exclaimed. "What's the matter with him?"

"I'll go talk to him," Ashely said with a sigh.

**The Simudeck**

"Andros, what are you doing?" Ashley demanded, arriving just as the simulation jumped to life. "Deca, stop simulation."

"What was that for?" Andros refused to meet her eyes as the monsters disappeared.

"We were down there for an hour," Ashley said.

"So?"

"Andros, you can't train yourself to death."

"I have to," Andros said stubbornly.

"Why?" Ashley demanded.

"I have to stop Arrow."

Ashley sighed. "Andros, we're fighting as a team, remember? Don't do this to yourself."

"But Ash, I can't let him..."

"You can't let him what?" Ashley challenged him. "Andros, you're not doing this because you think you have to protect me, are you?"

"Not entirely," Andros muttered, looking away as she narrowed her eyes.

"Andros, just stop this," Ashley pleaded. "I don't need you to protect me. I don't want you to."

"I don't want to watch you get hurt again," Andros said softly.

Ashley sighed. "Andros, I'm a ranger. I'm going to get hurt. I have been hurt, and I'm okay."

"Ash..." Andros finally met her eyes. "Do you think that any of what's happened was because of me?"

"No," Ashley cried. "I've told you that. You couldn't have helped it, and I ... I don't regret it, Andros. You're worth that to me. I'd do it again if I had to. Do you believe me?"

"I believe you, Ash," Andros whispered. "But -"

"There are no buts," Ashley interrupted. "I saved your life down there today. Zhane's too! Andros, I can fight my own battles."

"I know you can," Andros said, trying to figure a way out of this.

"Then why are you doing this?" Ashley demanded. "Because you feel guilty? Because you just want to fight for me anyway?"

Slowly, Andros nodded, concentrating hard on the floor. "I'm sorry, Ash."

"So you'll stop?"

"I'll try," he muttered.

"Try really hard," Ashley advised him cooly. "Or just pay attention and you'll see that I'm not completely helpless."

"I never said you were helpless," Andros said.

"But you act like I am," Ashley cried. "If we get in trouble, you stand in front of me and tell me to run. Andros, I'm never going to run."

"Ash, I..." Andros stopped talking and stared at her, not knowing what to say.

"Andros, I've got to go," Ashley said. "If you can accept the fact that I'm a ranger and I can fight on my own, then come talk to me. If you can't, then there's not much point in me having this anymore."

Slowly, Ashley undid the strap that kept her morpher attatched to her left wrist. She handed her morpher to Andros and stormed from the Simudeck, not looking back.

_A/N: Sorry it's been a few days, I've had writer's block. I didn't know I was going to do this, so if anyone has any suggestions, those would be helpful. Please review._


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** Don't worry, I somehow think I ended my writer's block with that last chapter. And she didn't break up with him. At least I hope not. But the story isn't over yet. :P_

_**Juzblue:** It's okay, my writer's block went away when I had them fight. :P_

_**Mz. Daydream: **They'll be fine, I just needed something to happen._

_**Mandy:** He will, don't worry._

_**JDPhoenix:** Well, Andros will get a grip in this chapter. I'm not sure about the rest._

_**C.C.C:** Yeah, Andros learned something. I'd never break them up, though. Well, not permanently._

_**Jenny:** Yes, declaring your undying love for this story does help. :P_

Chapter 16

"You did what?" Zhane exclaimed. "We need you!"

"Relax," Ashley said, chewing on her bottom lip nervously. "I was trying to snap him out of it."

"You broke up with him?" Carlos asked. Ashley glared at him.

"No, Carlos, I didn't," she said cooly. "I love him."

"What happens if he doesn't snap out of it?" Cassie asked. "We'd die down there without you."

"Cassie's right, Ash," TJ agreed with a sigh. "Andros is an idiot sometimes. He might go in the opposite direction."

"He won't," Ashley said firmly.

"Ashley?"

She took her sweet time swiveling around in her seat to face him, letting the other rangers glare at him for a minute or so. When she finally turned around to face him, Ashley saw Andros staring at her, shaken.

"What?" she asked, her voice coming out stronger than she'd meant. Ashley started to wonder how much of her earlier words had been an act.

"Can I... Can I talk to you?" Andros asked nervously.

"Fine," Ashley agreed. "Talk."

"Alone?" Andros asked. "Please?"

Ashley relented and followed him off the bridge. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't care," Andros said. "As long as we're alone."

"Come on," Ashley said. "Let's go for a walk."

They wandered through the Megaship for several minutes before Andros stopped, turning her to face him. His right hand was clenched around her morpher, and he handed it to her.

"I'm sorry, Ash," he muttered, staring at the ground as opposed to her.

"What, exactly, are you sorry for?" Ashley asked, her tone concealing whatever she was feeling. She barely glanced at the morpher she now held as she fixed her eyes on Andros's.

"I'm sorry I was an idiot," Andros blurted out, and Ashley stared at him in surprise. "I know you can fight your own battles, and it's selfish of me not to want you to. No one deserves the chance to fight Arrow more than you do, Ash, and I shouldn't want to take that away from you. But I do, and I'm sorry for that."

"Andros..." Ashley said slowly, toying with her morpher. "It's fine that you want to protect me. I want to protect you. But when you try to keep me safe by trying to keep me from fighting, do you have any idea how much that hurts?"

Andros shook his head. "The last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt you, Ash," he muttered. "I'm sorry."

"Then stop doing it," Ashley pleaded. "When you tell me to run and let you do the fighting, it's like you're telling me that I'm not good enough to fight with you, and I already feel that way."

"What?" Andros said. "Why?"

"Because of Arrow," Ashley muttered.

"Ash..."

"Don't talk." Ashley's eyes were wet with tears that didn't fall, but she swallowed hard and tried to keep talking. "Just listen to me, okay?"

Andros nodded. "Okay."

"I need to fight Arrow," Ashley said, now shaking with unshed tears. "If I don't, I'll feel like he's won, and I won't be able to stand that. I would have fought him, if he wasn't about to kill you, and now I need to prove to myself that I can do it. You know that you can fight him, Andros, and I want to know if I can."

"Can I say something now?" Andros asked when Ashley stopped, her eyes overflowing. She nodded, swiping angrily at her tears. "Ash, I love you, and I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted to protect you, but you don't need me to, and I'm sorry I made you feel like you couldn't fight."

"Andros, I do need you to protect me," Ashley whispered. "Just not in the middle of a fight."

"Then when?" he asked gently, pulling her into his arms. "I promise, I'll protect you, whenever you'll let me."

"You already do," Ashley said, her voice almost directly in his ear. "Andros, I'm so scared, but I can hide it when I'm awake. I can distract myself, and not think about it, but when I'm asleep, I can't hide anymore. When I wake up, I think it was real, and then I feel your arms around me, and somehow, that's enough to let me fall asleep again."

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Andros asked, rubbing her back soothingly as she tried to calm down.

"I didn't want you to think less of me," Ashley mumbled. "I didn't want to ask you to protect me from something that's not even real."

"Ash, I wouldn't think less of you for having nightmares," Andros exclaimed. "If I ever did anything to make you think that, then I'm so sorry."

"You didn't do anything," Ashley said, burying her face in his neck. "But I think less of myself."

"Why?" Andros questioned her softly, hating himself for hurting her.

"You said I saved your life," Ashley said. "But I wasn't strong enough to do it by fighting Arrow, so I had to sleep with him instead!"

Andros stared at her, stricken, at a complete loss for words, but he had to say something. "Ashley..."

"He hurt me so much," Ashley whispered. "I could have fought him, and he knew it, but I didn't do anything to stop him. I didn't even move. I'd just lie there with my eyes closed and wait for him to leave."

"Ashley, I'm so sorry," Andros whispered, wiping her tears away, trying hard not to cry himself.

"It wasn't your fault," Ashley choked out, hiding her face in his shoulder as he held her. "Don't think that."

"I'll try not to," Andros promised her, kissing the top of her head. "And I promise I'll never try and keep you from fighting Arrow, or anyone else, as long as you promise me something."

"What?" Ashley pulled her head back to look up into his hazel eyes.

"Promise me that you won't doubt your strength," he said softly, raising one hand to her face, his thumb lightly running along the now healed wound that scarred her left cheek. "You're stronger than I am."

"I promise," Ashley whispered. "But I think you're wrong."

"I'm not," Andros said firmly. "You're so much stronger, Ash, and I know that you can fight him."

"Thank you," Ashley whispered. "Andros, I love you."

"I love you, Ash," Andros whispered back. "Don't worry, it's almost over. Everything's going to be okay."

Ashley nodded, reassured for now by his words. Andros doubted that whatever comfort he gave her would be enough to make her truly believe what he was saying to her. He held her close, wishing that there was some magic way to make everything all right again.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** Yup, that makes everything mostly okay. :P_

_**Juzblue:**Thanks. I'm glad too. Here's more._

_**C.C.C: **Thanks. I kinda figured you hated Arrow. If you liked him, you'd be more twisted than I am, and I created him:P_

_**DizneeDol:** Andros and Ashley are so adorable. Maybe not in this story, but in general. _

_**Mz. Daydream:** I think we've got the same daydream. But we're not Ashley. :sigh:P_

_**Jenny:** You couldn't find ANYTHING to babble on? That's just an excuse. You never babble about the actual chapter. Well, sometimes you do. :P_

_**GreenDayfan1:** You jumped off a balcony? That's hilarious. Except for the part where you hurt yourself. :P All your brothers do is sleep, cry, and eat? I remember when my sister was that little... I miss that... :P_

_**Sandra:** Probably._

_**the-power-of-love:** Thanks, here's more._

_**RisingGundam2004:** Thanks. Andros and Ashley were the cutest PR couple ever, I think._

Chapter 17

"Andros?" Ashley whispered, rolling over in bed so she was facing him. She felt his fingers brush against her cheek, and she smiled, moving closer to him as he wrapped his arms around her. "We can win, can't we?"

"Of course we can," Andros assured her, his voice much calmer than he felt. "Ash, you can't lose hope."

"Why not? It's not like we're winning."

"Because if you give up, then so will I," Andros said after a moment. "I'm serious, Ash."

"I know you are," Ashley said with a sigh. "You really think we can stop him?"

"I know we can," Andros said, stroking her hair with one hand. "He's not invincible. Zhane and I stopped him, four years ago."

"How'd you do that?" Ashley asked. "You never said."

"You can watch it if you want to," Andros said. "It's just... there was nothing spectacular about it. It was just us against him, without Killian. There was an army, but Dark Specter disliked him as much as we did, and destroyed them. I don't think there's much that you can learn from it, but if you want to, Deca's got it."

"I want to," Ashley said firmly.

"Let's go, then," Andros said, climbing out of bed. He pulled her to her feet and led her out of the room. "The viewing screen on the bridge is best."

Ashley didn't bother to say that she already knew that. Instead, she reached for his hand, wondering what he didn't want her to see. Knowing Andros, he wouldn't want her to see him if he'd taken too many blows. She wondered if he thought she would ask to see the tape of when Arrow had escaped. That she wouldn't ask for; it didn't have anything to do with what she wanetd to know, and Andros was already blaming himself enough without having to watch himself setting his enemy free.

"Deca, can you play the recording of the battle where Zhane and I captured Arrow?"

"Certainly," Deca said as Andros and Ashley took their seats at the bridge.

"Thanks Deca," Ashley said, looking at Andros anxiously, but he was doing a good job of avoiding her gaze as the viewing screen sprang to life.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a clear, sunny day on KO-35, but the streets were deserted as battle raged. Arrow's footsoldiers, as well as quite a few Quantrons, lined the streets, closing in on the red and silver rangers who stood back to back, slowly circling around, doing their best to keep up the fight.

An hour passed with no side gaining much ground. Andros and Zhane took out as many Quantrons as they could, but Arrow's soldiers came at them more quickly than they could handle. The only reason they were still holding up was the second battle between the Quantrons and Arrow's soldiers.

Then the Quantrons were gone, the soldiers as well, and only Arrow stood before them, proud and triumphant. "Surrender to me, and I may spare your lives."

"Never," Andros spat, his voice weary from the long, hard fight. "You'll have to kill us."

Arrow leapt at them, his sword slashing across Andros's chest, and then grazing Zhane's shoulder as it made a full arc. Zhane stumbled back, his left hand going to his shoulder automatically, but Andros collapsed forward onto his hands and knees as his suit brightened, and then vanished.

"Now do you surrender, Red Ranger?"

"I'll never surrender," Andros said weakly as Zhane drove Arrow back with blow after blow from his Silverizer.

"Stubborn," Arrow mused. His next words were cut off by the sound of Zhane's Silverizer firing, but a moment later, Andros cried out, "What?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Just like your sister," Andros said, not looking at Ashley as he paused the video. "That's what you don't hear. He planned it all... and I fell for it."

Ashley didn't know what to say and stared at the frozen screen. It didn't matter that Andros was alive and well, she hated seeing him hurting, whether right now or four years in the past.

"It's not your fault," Ashley found herself saying yet again as Andros glared at the image of his younger self. "Andros..."

"Deca, resume footage," Andros ordered, looking away again.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Andros scrambled to his feet as Zhane held off Arrow. A moment later, he had morphed again, although his suit seemed duller somehow, not the fiery red it normally was.

Although the two rangers put up a strong fight, it was only a fluke that brought them victory. Arrow's dark gray suit shimmered for an instant, allowing them a view of the man who hid behind it. While Arrow faltered, Andros fired, the blast demorphing Arrow completely, and the two rangers overcame their shock to move forward and capture him.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Why'd his suit do that?" Ashley asked, her eyes narrowing in thought. "It did that when we fought him on Centuar B, when he almost killed you."

Andros shook his head. "I don't know... It could be similar to the Phantom Ranger's ruby. Phantom doesn't demorph until his ruby is drained. I think Arrow remains morphed as long as he possibly can. It makes him less real, more frightening."

"Then why hasn't it happened again?" Ashley asked. "We've been fighting him so often."

Andros shrugged. "I'd say that he figured it out. Alana and Blaze would know."

"If we kept him fighting long enough, do you think it would happen again?" Ashley asked.

"It's possible," Andros answered. "We can always try it, anyway. Just don't count on anything, Ash."

Ashley sighed. "I won't."

"I didn't mean it won't work," Andros said quickly, seeing the look of disappointment on her face. "It probably will. I just -"

"I know," Ashley interrupted. "It's okay..."

"I should have shown you this sooner," Andros muttered. "All of you. I wasn't thinking..."

"Andros, it's all right," Ashley broke in before he could get any farther. "It's-"

"Don't say it's okay!" Andros interrupted. "It isn't, and we both know it."

Ashley remained silent. True, Andros shouldn't have witheld the information. It was his role as the leader of the team to do whatever was necessary to bring them to victory, no matter the cost to his pride... but if they had known it, Ashley doubted that it would have changed anything as it was now. Arrow had ambushed her and Andros, not giving them a chance to fight back. The only difference the knowledge could have made would be that it might have prevented her from being scarred.

"Is that all there is?" Ashley asked. Andros nodded, glancing down at his hands again.

"Arrow was in a maximum security cell for three days. Karovans rarely captured villians, and when they did, they liked to make examples of them. The nigt before Arrow was supposed to go to trial, I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about what he'd said, about Karone... and I thought that, if I could find her, that maybe then they'd forgive me."

"Your parents, you mean?" Ashley asked gently. Andros nodded, swallowing visibly.

"I was an idiot," he mumbled. "Arrow had it all planned, in case he got captured. He knew about her, and he knew that it was my fault."

"Andros-"

"Let me finish," Andros pleaded, finally meeting her eyes when she broke in to remind him that he hadn't been responsible for Karone's kindapping. "If there was even a chance that Arrow knew where Karone was, I had to take it. I couldn't just let the one person who had ever hinted at knowing where she was die... so I snuck into the prison. My father was the one who was standing guard that night."

He stopped. Ashley felt her heart breaking for him at the look in his eyes. "Andros..."

"I'm okay," he assured her, gripping the hand that she laid on his arm. "My father was the one standing guard over Arrow. It was the first time in my life that I'd ever hit him, and I didn't even have the guts to do it to his face. I snuck up behind him and got him in the head. Then I went past him to get to Arrow. He told me that if I set him free, he'd tell me where Karone was. I agreed, and he knocked the wind out of me, laughing. I knew then that he'd tricked me, and I couldn't stop him again. He was just... gone."

"And then?" Ashley prompted gently, knowing that there was more. Andros sighed.

"And then my father woke up."

Ashley's grip on his arm tightened involuntarily. "How bad was it?"

"Have you ever had a collapsed lung?" Andros asked with a bitter laugh. "Then there were the broken ribs, the concussion, the dislocated shoulder, not to mention all the cuts and bruises. He'd stopped beating me when I became a ranger, but that night, he just went crazy, and I didn't do anything to stop him. I didn't want to."

"Andros," Ashley whispered, leaning forward to wrap her arms around him. "You made a mistake, a big one, but you didn't deserve that, and you don't deserve what you're doing to yourself. Stop punishing yourself for it."

Andros was suddenly on the verge of tears. Ashley's kindness and love were causing him far more pain than the beating he had taken that night. After everything that Arrow had done to her, why did she still love him? Didn't she see that he was the cause of it all?

"If you really think that it was your fault," Ashley continued, hesitantly, not sure of how he was going to react, "then wasn't being beaten for more than half your life enough punishment for it?"

"Ash," Andros whispered hoarsely. "I..."

"Just answer me," Ashley said softly.

"Almost," he told her after a long moment. "Maybe I'll feel differently when we've stopped him."

"I hope you're right," Ashley said softly, squeezing him hard. "Andros, I love you."

"I love you, Ash," Andros replied, yawning, wondering how she'd managed to take away so much of his guilt. "Let's go back to bed."

_A/N: Sorry for the wait. I started school today, and everything's been crazy. I'll try to still update soon, but I do have homework and stuff. (Insert sick smilie here) Please review._


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: **Thanks, I'll try not to let school get me down. _:(

_**Juzblue:** Yeah, I realized I should probably explain why they weren't winning... :P_

_**Mz. Daydream:** Ashley is so sweet, and it's even sweeter when Andros is there for Ashley._

_**JDPhoenix:** Don't worry, I'll kill Arrow. He won't be alive at the end._

_**DizneeDol:** Here's more. Sorry it took so long, but besides school, I usually stop updating right before the story ends, because I don't want it to. But I really don't want to write a Part 3 to this, so it'll be over in a few days. :P_

_**Sandra:** Happy ending, yes. Andros's baby, wait and see. :P_

_**C.C.C: **Thanks. Hope you love this part just as much._

_**RisingGundam2004:** Thanks. Arrow won't go squishy, but he won't go peacefully in his sleep, either. :P_

_**the-power-of-love:** Thanks, here's more._

_**Jenny:** I thought you had a good memory too. Oh well, as long as you remember what happened in the last chapter, I guess it doesn't matter. :P_

_**Melissa:** School sucks. Only 35 more weeks to go. :P_

Chapter 18

"Ash had an idea," Andros said the next morning at breakfast, squeezing her hand slightly under the table. The other rangers looked up from their food and looked at her expectantly.

"I don't know if it could work or not," Ashley said hesitantly. "But if I'm right, then I think we could capture Arrow."

"Out with it then!" Cassie exclaimed. "Let's hear this master plan of yours."

"Do you guys remember when we fought Arrow on Centaur B?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah," TJ said. "Andros almost died and Zhane woke up."

"That was it," Ashley said. "Do you remember why he didn't kill Andros?"

"Zhane woke up and helped us out," TJ said, slightly puzzled. Ashley shook her head.

"That's only part of it," she explained. "He had two chances to kill Andros without much interference from us. One was when he had the sword to his neck. When he told us to step away or he'd kill him, we didn't have much choice. The other was after Andros was shot. He could have gotten to him pretty easily in the confusion, but he didn't. His suit started to shimmer, remember?"

"I do remember," Carlos said, sounding surprised. "Funny... I completely forgot about that."

"When Zhane and I fought him four years ago, it happened then, too," Andros added. "It was what made us able to capture him."

"Did his suit ever do that in your dimension?" Ashley asked Blaze and Alana hopefully. They looked at each other and slowly shook their heads.

"I can't say that it did," Blaze said finally. "Maybe it only happens in this dimension," he added, seeing the look of disappointment on Ashley's face. "His morpher might not work properly here."

"I was hoping that it had something to do with the amount of time he'd been morphed," Ashley said with a sigh. "If it did, then if we dragged out the battle long enough..."

"We'll try, Ash," Karone assured her.

"Definitely," Zhane said. "It's a better plan than any we've come up with so far, at least."

"It's entirely possible that it will work," Alana said thoughtfully. "But if it doesn't, what other reasons could there be?"

"Maybe it has nothing to do with how long he's been morphed," Cassie suggested. "Could it be related to how hard he's been fighting? Think about it... all the times that you mentioned, Ash, he was fighting one on two, or more. Now he's protected by Killian, and a few dozen lackeys."

"Is that even possible?" Carlos wondered. "A ranger's power being overtaxed that way?"

After a moment, Andros said, "It is possible... For a ranger's suit to reflect their current energy. It's unusual, but far from unheard of."

"Let's try it, then," Ashley said, hope springing back into her eyes.

"I have just one question," Carlos said. "Andros, Zhane, you guys captured Arrow, but he got away? How'd he do that, and how do we keep it from happening again?"

Ashley winced slightly as the hand loosely holding hers suddenly clamped down in a vise-like grip. Andros's other hand was balled into a fist. "It won't happen again."

"How can you be sure?" Carlos pressed. "What happened?"

"He..." Andros let his voice trail off, and glanced helplessly at Ashley, who squeezed his hand, but said nothing. Zhane was staring at him with dawning comprehension. Andros had never admitted even to Zhane what had happened that night, but when Zhane had seen the state Andros was in the next morning, he'd formed an educated guess.

"Well?" Carlos prompted.

Andros looked away. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what they would think of him if he admitted that he'd set Arrow free, but it was something he should have told them a long time ago, instead of feeling sorry for himself. With a sigh, Andros looked up at the black ranger, holding his gaze as he said quietly, "Arrow escaped because I helped him."

"You what?" Cassie exclaimed before she could help herself. At the look on Andros's face, she added, "Sorry, it's just..."

"I know," Andros said. He laughed bitterly. "Trust me, he won't be getting away again."

"Why'd you let him go?" TJ asked.

"I thought he knew something," was all Andros would say. Karone didn't need to know.

Andros became aware that both Carlos and Alana were glaring furiously at him. He sighed, resigned to their anger. "Just say it."

"Four years ago, my sister was still alive," Alana spat at him. "What was in it for you? What did he promise you? Traitor!"

Andros's already painful grip on Ashley's hand grew even tighter, but other than that, he made no reaction for several minutes. Then he turned his head towards Carlos. "I assume you agree with her?"

"Of course I agree with her," Carlos exploded. "You're the red ranger! You're not supposed to fall for stupid tricks like that! And you haven't learned, either! You led Ashley right into that ambush."

"Enough," Ashley snapped coldly. "You didn't exactly object at the idea of sitting around relaxing while Andros and I went down there ourselves. We all fell for Arrow's tricks."

"Why do you defend him?" Alana demanded.

"I love him," Ashley answered quietly. "And I believe him when he says that Arrow won't escape another time."

"Didn't you also believe him all those times when he promised he'd never let anyone hurt you?" Carlos shouted. "Ashley, don't you see?"

"No." Ashley's voice was deadly quiet, and her entire body was shaking with fury. "You're the one who doesn't see, Carlos. You weren't there. You don't know what happened, and you don't need to. It was stupid of Andros to promise me that, and it was stupid of me to let him. We're rangers, and sometimes that comes with a price."

"A price you shouldn't have paid for a traitor!" Alana snapped.

"It's not for you to decide what Andros's life should be worth to me," Ashley said cooly. "And it's also not your place to question his leadership, when you were so desperate to have him that you arranged for Arrow to ambush us."

"It was Calan-"

"Who you left behind," Ashley interrupted. "Even when Andros hated me, he didn't leave me stranded on the other side of a mirror."

"Arrow has appeared on the planet surface."

Deca's voice interrupted them, and Ashley raised her eyes to glare at Carlos and Alana.

"This is it," she said, speaking to them all, but her eyes never moving. "Choose whatever you can live with."

Andros waited a moment before standing up, his hand still in Ashley's. He addressed the other rangers, stunned into silence. "It's time to go."

_A/N: Sorry for the long wait. There's only three or four chapters left, and I've decided who Angel's father is. It's not said directly, but she gets her fathers eyes. Arrow has gray eyes, and Andros has hazel eyes, so read the epilogue carefully. :P Please review._


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** I don't know if Carlos still has a crush on Ashley. Should he? I just make him a jerk a lot because I didn't like him that much. If you tell anyone what color eyes Angel has, I'll send the Megazords after you. :P_

_**Juzblue:** Thanks. Here's more._

_**Mz. Daydream:** I think Part 1 hints a tiny bit at Arrow being Angel's father. It wasn't supposed to, but I didn't come up with the plot for Part 2 until much later, so it does a little bit._

_**C.C.C:** Yes, Carlos is jealous. I didn't know I was going to do that, but it seemed to fit._

_**JDPhoenix:** No, Carlos and Alana won't fall in love. I don't like Carlos enough to put that in, especially so close to the end. Andros and Ashley will be fine, and you'll see who Angel's father is in the epilogue._

_**Jenny:** Yeah, Alana's pretty bitter. I really had no idea that chapter was going to happen the way it did, so if it's a little weird, that's why. Oh yeah, why is everyone calling me a traitor? _

_**RisingGundam2004:** Sorry, no squashy Arrow. But something else might happen. :P_

_**Melpers:** It's all right, I procrastinate all the time. I failed science one year because I put of something worth half my grade until the early morning of the day it was due. :P I think the only person who knows who Angel's father is is Marieke, and she better not be telling. :P_

Chapter 19

"I'll go," Alana snapped, glaring at Andros. "But not for you."

"I'm a ranger," Carlos said, getting to his feet as well. "Which is more than I can say for you. I'm not stopping now."

Andros ignored them both, and released Ashley's hand as they reached for their morphers. "Ready?" Andros asked, his voice perfectly steady, only the softness of it hinting at how much their anger cut him.

"Let's rocket!" the Astro Rangers shouted together, as Alana, Blaze, and Karone morphed seperately.

"Deca, teleport nine," Andros ordered. "Remember, you guys. We can't leave until we wear him down."

They were teleported down to the surface before Carlos and Alana had a chance to form any sort of reply. As always, Arrow was surrounded by Killian and several dozen footsoldiers. Alana immediately began venting her anger towards Andros on them, with Blaze only there for backup.

Ashley headed straight for Arrow, but was blocked by Killian, who slowly sent her inching backwards as he advanced. Ashley groaned with frustration as she realized that she was being driven back, and pulled out her Star Slinger, blasting him as she skirted around him.

Killian shouted at her, and sprinted after her, catching her from behind with a blow to the shoulder. The force of it sent Ashley stumbling, and she fell, landing hard on her stomach. She felt the sole of his boot pressing hard into the back of her neck before she even had the chance to move.

"Ashley!" Andros cried, his heart nearly stopping as he saw her. Leaving Zhane to hold his own against Arrow, Andros sprinted towards Killian, firing nonstop with his powered up Spiral Saber. Killian collapsed under the shots, and Ashley scrambled to her feet.

"Thanks," she gasped, leaning against him for support as she regained her sense of balance.

"Are you all right?" Andros asked, curling his fingers around her gloved hand for an instant before he turned back to the battle.

"I'm fine," Ashley assured him, joining him as Andros moved back to where Zhane and Karone were fighting Arrow.

"Yellow Ranger," Arrow taunted her, laughing despite the fact that he was outnumbered four to one. "You still need the red ranger to save you."

_"Don't listen to him," _Andros told her as he saw he concentration break for a second, the only second Arrow needed to lash out at her.

"But he can't save you," Arrow continued, hitting her with several more blows that Andros couldn't block. "And he doesn't want to save you."

"Enough!" Andros shouted, leaping forward, wishing for the thousandth time that he could tear Arrow in two. Arrow dodged him easily, planting his foot hard in Andros's stomach, knocking the wind out of him as footsoldiers suddenly surrounded them. Zhane and Karone hauled Andros to his feet, realizing their mistake too late.

There was a wall of footsoldiers between them and Arrow, and Ashley was alone on the other side of that wall.

"Ashley!" Andros shouted, trying to break through the line with no success.

_"I'm all right," _Ashley replied shakily, her telepathy fading in and out with her fear.

"You are weak," Arrow told her, laughing as she faltered, missing several blocks. She cried out in pain, clutching her Star Slinger in shaking hands, but making no move to fire as Arrow moved closer to her.

_"Ashley, do something!" _Andros shouted as he was knocked down. TJ caught his arm as he fell, pulling him back up as Cassie blocked for them.

Ashley heard Andros shouted at her, out loud and in her mind, but she was frozen in place as Arrow slowly advanced towards her. "The red ranger can't save you now," he taunted her. "He never wanted to. He didn't try when I slashed open your face. He didn't try when you tradred yourself for him. He won't try now, when I kill you."

_"Ashley!" _Andros screamed, catching glimpses of her standing stock still as Arrow stood directly in front of her. Her Star Slinger had been plucked from her grasp, and now lay discarded on the ground. _"Ash, please do something!"_

"Do you want to die, Yellow Ranger?"

"No," Ashley whispered, still unmoving. In one swift move, Arrow had the point of his blade at her neck.

"I'll spare your life," Arrow said, "if you surrender to me now, for forever."

Ashley shuddered at his voice, even imagining agreeing to his condition making her sick. He was only inches away from her now, and Ashley suddenly knew that if they were both unmorphed, their eyes would be locked together.

_"Ashley!"_ Andros shoued again, his voice becoming increasingly desperate.

"Answer me," Arrow ordered. "Do you want to live?"

"Never that badly," Ashley spat, driving her elbow into his stomach. She leapt into the air, her foot connecting with the side of his head as she spun away, snatching at her Star Slinger.

Arrow shouted at her in fury as she knocked him down, Star Slinger pointed at his chest. His suit shimmered, and Ashley's shoulders sagged with relief as he shouted again.

"Don't move," she hissed. "I won't spare your life. I'm not as generous as you are."

Arrow twitched slightly, and Ashley jumped, her fingers twitching on the trigger. Her one moment of distraction was enough, and Arrow kicked her feet out from under her, leaping at her as she tumbled to the ground. He pinned her down, straddling her as he leaned over her, his helmeted head only inches from hers.

"Remember this?" he taunted. For a moment, Ashley was flooded with the same fear she had felt back in the other dimension. Then his suit shimmered again, and she saw something akin to fear in his cold gray eyes, and her own fright was replaced with anger.

Ashley kneed him hard between the legs, shoving him off of her as he cried out in pain, his voice several octaves above his normal voice range. One hand grasped at her Star Slinger, and she fired several times. Already weakened, Arrow's suit shimmered once more before vanishing completely.

_"Don't you dare scare me like that again."_

Ashley was still lying on the ground when she felt Andros's hands underneath her shoulder blades, pushing her up into a sitting position. He pulled her to her feet, completely ignoring the fact that Zhane and Alana were holding Arrow, or the fact that Killian was dead from one of his own shots. He wrapped his arms around Ashley, holding her close for as long as he could without forgetting completely about their ranger duties. There were bodies all around them, and several footsoldiers were still alive.

A moment later, they were standing on the Megaship, nine rangers, five footsoldiers, and Arrow. The footsoldiers were placed in seperate containment cells from Arrow, who was promptly locked away in the highest security cell.

Cassie was the one who voiced the question that was on all of their minds. "What do we do with him now?"


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** Of course Andros is sweet. He's hopelessly in love. :P If you get the Megazords, then I get Andros and Ashley. Ha! _

_**Juzblue:** Thanks. I updated soon too! _

_**Mz. Daydream: **Thanks. As much as I love having Andros save Ashley, I thought that was something Ashley needed to do on her own. One of the things I keep having trouble with in this story is having to make Ashley strong enough to take down Arrow one moment, but still have it convincing when she's crying on Andros's shoulder the next moment. You'll see what they decide to do in this chapter, but what actually happens might be drastically different. _

_**JDPhoenix:** Thanks. Here's more, and I promise I'm going to update tomorrow too._

_**C.C.C: **Thanks. I hate Andros's parents, too. If I can work them in, they'll show up, but don't count on anything. _

_**RisingGundam2003:** It will be painful, but no wedding, sorry. _

Chapter 20

"Kill him," Alana said instantly. "There's no other way."

"We don't do that," TJ informed her. "As much as we might want to."

"I am going to rip him apart," Andros growled, the arm he had around Ashley's shoulders pulling her closer to him. "I don't care if it's what we do or not."

"But I do," Ashley told him.

"But Ash-" Andros started to protest. He stopped and sighed. Ashley was right, and no matter how much he would have liked to tear Arrow limb from limb for raping her, he couldn't.

"The Karovans would still try him," Zhane said. "I know they would."

"He doesn't deserve that much," Andros muttered, and sighed. "Fine."

"That's it?" Alana shouted. "The Karovans try him? Can't you think of something better than that?"

"Alana-"

"Shut up, Blaze," Alana snapped, glaring at Andros. "What's wrong with you? You spent every day back in the other dimension swearing that you were going to make him die slowly and painfully, and now you're just going to give him a nice little trial?"

"We don't kill like that," Andros said reluctantly.

Alana looked at him in disgust before rounding on Ashley. "And you! How can you not want to kill him? After what he did to you? How many times did he come for you? And you still won't kill him! He was right, you are weak!"

"Enough," Andros snapped, his eyes growing cold as he met Alana's glare. His voice was even colder, and a dead silence fell instantly. "You have no right to speak to her that way. You are not the one making this decision. We can't always do what we want, Alana. No matter how much I want to tear that monster apart, I can't."

"I can," Alana snapped back, glaring at him. "I'm not going to let him die a nice, peaceful death. He deserves something slow and painful."

"I agree," Carlos said.

"Shut up," Ashley cried, looking as though she was about to slap them both. "He's going to be tried by the Karovans."

"Don't you want him to suffer?" Carlos pressed.

Ashley hesitated. "Yes," she admitted in a whisper. "I want him to suffer. I want to hurt him worse than he hurt me, but if you handed me a blaster, I wouldn't be strong enough to do it."

"It's all right, Ash," Andros murmured, wrapping his other arm around her as well, holding her close as she struggled not to cry. "It's all right."

"You're all weak," Alana snarled and stalked off. Blaze followed her a moment later, shooting an apologetic look at them over his shoulder.

TJ exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "Are you all right, Ash?"

"I'm fine," Ashley said shakily, refusing to meet anyone's eyes but Andros's.

"Why are you lying to us?" Carlos demanded. "We're your friends, Ash!"

"Carlos, cool it," Cassie ordered. "What's wrong with you?"

"I told you months ago," Carlos shouted. "I told you he'd hurt her! He doesn't deserve her!"

"That's not for you to decide," Ashley said. Her voice was cool but still shaking. "Carlos, I love Andros. He's not supposed to be my bodyguard. He's just supposed to love me... and he does."

"Why do you forgive him for everything?" Carlos demanded. "You were raped because of him! You almost died because of him! Look at your face!"

Ashley stared at him as though he'd slapped her, and Andros glared at the black ranger. A moment later, he shifted his gaze to Ashley, touching her cheek gently with one hand. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Ashley whispered, pain evident in her eyes. Andros kissed her forehead gently before he turned to Carlos, his eyes hardening. The black ranger met his eyes defiantly before storming away.

"It's all right, Ash," Andros whispered in her ear as her shoulders started shaking. "It's all right... do you want to go to your room?"

Ashley nodded her head, holding back her tears just long enough to leave the room. Andros guided her onto the Megalift as her eyes overflowed, and stood holding her until her breath had stopped coming in gasps between bouts of tears. As soon as she was in her room, Ashley sank down onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow as Andros lay down next to her, his arms encircling her protectively.

"I thought he was my friend," Ashley whispered through her tears. "Why'd he have to do that?"

"I don't know, Ash," Andros said, sighing heavily, resisting the temptation to say more. "Do you want to talk?"

"Not about Carlos," Ashley muttered. "He'll come apologize as soon as you're not around." She paused. "Andros? What's going to happen to Arrow?"

"The Karovans will find him guilty," Andros assured her. "They'll just pick up where this left off four years ago."

"Will they kill him?" Ashley asked anxiously.

"Probably," Andros told her. "They can't risk him getting away again."

"He can't get out, can he?" Ashley asked.

"Not unless someone lets him out," Andros said, his eyes darkening. "And that's not happening." He paused, a smile creeping across his face as he stared fondly at Ashley. "Ash... you're the reason we got him."

"I am?" Ashley asked uncertainly.

Andros nodded, his thumb tracing an unseen pattern across her face. "I told you you were strong enough," he told her. "I just had no idea how strong."

"Neither did I," Ashley whispered. "I was so scared of him."

"I know you were," Andros said gently, brushing his lips over hers. "So was I."

"What were you scared for?" Ashley asked, tilting her head back to look into his eyes.

"You wouldn't move," Andros said softly. "He was walking towards you and you were just standing there. I don't think I've ever been more scared in my life, Ash. I was sure that he was going to take you away from me again."

"He tried to," Ashley whispered. "He told me that he'd let me live if I went back to him and stayed there for the rest of my life."

Andros felt sick at the thought of Arrow ever laying a hand on her again. "I love you so much, Ashley," he whispered.

"I love you too," Ashley whispered, curling up in his arms for several minutes.

"Feel any better?" Andros asked finally, half hoping that she'd say no. He would be perfectly content staying here with her all day, but they had business to take care of.

"Yeah," Ashley whispered. "Thanks."

Andros climbed out of bed with Ashley still in his arms, reluctant to let go of her, even to set her down on the floor, but eventually he had to. "Deca, are the others still around the containment cells?"

"Affirmative," Deca replied.

"Come on, Ash," Andros said, slipping his hand through hers. "Let's go take care of the footsoldiers."

He gave her a small smile as he led her out of the room, silently telling her that everything was going to be okay again soon. Ashley tightened the hold she had on his hand, her heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** He does something stupid in this chapter. Andros and Ashley are not on the Megaship, they're in a house somewhere. Breeding. :P_

_**C.C.C: **If Andros says any more, he knows Ashley's not going to like it, and he doesn't want to do something stupid, like he does in this chapter. :P_

_**Jenny:** Ashley seems too perfect? I think it's too late to change that in this story, but don't worry, she'll be far from perfect in one I'll have out soon. _

_**JDPhoenix:** Thanks. Here's more._

_**RisingGundam2004:** Arrow get what he deserves, but you've got to imagine it all. :P_

_**Mz. Daydream:** Thanks. Andros and Ashley are the perfect couple, and there can never be enough stories about them! _

Chapter 21

Ashley moaned softly in her sleep, twisting away out of Andros's arms. His eyes opened slowly as she started whimpering, tossing back and forth as her breathing became labored.

"Ash," Andros whispered. He reached over and touched her shoulder. "Ashley!"

Her eyes flew open and widened slightly. "Wha... what happened?"

"You were having another nightmare," Andros said softly. He pushed the pillows up against the headboard and sat up, gathering Ashley back into his arms. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Ashley whispered, resting her head against his chest. "I don't remember what was happening, except that I was scared."

"It's all right," Andros soothed her, running his hand up and down her spine. Goosebumps had broken out over her bare skin, and he drew the blanket up to her chin, making sure it wrapped around her completely. "You're safe here, Ash."

"I know," Ashley whispered, pulling him closer to her as she warmed up, her hands searching for his. "I'm all right now."

Andros kissed the back of her neck gently before gently catching her hands in his. "You're cold," he said softly, rubbing her hands between his. "Do you want some clothes?"

"Don't get up," Ashley mumbled, her eyes starting to close again. "I'm all right."

"Go to sleep, Ash," Andros whispered, easing her down onto the mattress again. "I'll wake you up if you have any more nightmares."

"I love you," Ashley whispered as Andros shifted to lie down beside her.

"I love you, Ashley," Andros whispered back, wrapping his arms around her waist as Ashley curled up in his arms again. He watched the slight rising and falling of her chest, listening to the peaceful breathing that told him she was all right.

Deca's eye blinked at him suddenly, and Andros started in suprise. Deca had learned to respect the privacy of all the rangers onboard the Megaship, and normally had better things to do than watch them sleep.

"What happened?" Andros asked softly, hoping that Ashley wouldn't wake.

"Alana is approaching the containment cells with a variety of weapons at her disposal," Deca informed him, and Andros groaned. He should have seen that coming. He should have locked the outer doors more securely... or maybe he **had ** seen it coming, and that was why he hadn't.

Slowly, careful not to disturb Ashley, he shifted her body off of his arm, and settled her gently back down on her side. He drew the covers up over her carefully before easing himself out of bed, searching through the clothing on the floor for his own.

"Alana has entered the containment cells," Deca reported, and Andros glared up at her eye.

"I'm going," he told her. "Stop telling me what Alana's doing. You'll wake Ashley. Now go away and let me get dressed."

Deca's eye blinked reprovingly at him, but she obeyed. With the absence of the faint red glow of her eye, the room was pitch black, and it took Andros even longer to sort his clothes from Ashley's in the complete darkness. When he was finally dressed enough to go wandering the halls, Andros slipped quietly out of the room before walking quickly down the corridor.

"Andros, the containment cells are in the opposite direction," Deca reminded him warily.

"I know," Andros assured her, smirking slightly. Deca didn't say any more.

Andros arrived at the containment cells just as Alana was leaving. She stopped when she saw him, a hint of a smile appearing on her face. "Don't worry, he was in pain."

"How-"

"You turned a two minute run into a half hour stroll," Alana informed him. "You wanted him to die."

"Yes," Andros admitted quietly. "I did."

"So why'd you go off on how you don't kill?" Alana asked. "You wanted him dead just as much as I did, probably more."

Andros shrugged, and looked at her helplessly. "I don't know... I wanted him to die, but I didnt' want to be the one that did it."

"Why not?" Alana looked at him curiously.

"If I had," Andros said slowly, knowing that she wouldn't understand, "I'd never have been able to look Ashley in the eye again. No matter how much she might want him gone, she doesn't have it in her to... execute someone like that, and if I had done it, I don't think she would have forgiven me."

"You don't have it in you either," Alana assured him. "Or you would have done it already."

"What did you do to him?" he asked, not sure he wanted to see, but wanting to know that Arrow was truly dead. Alana placed a hand on his arm as he started towards the cell.

"Unless you know just how much blood is in one human, I suggest you stay away," she said dryly. Andros swallowed and nodded.

"Good night, Alana."

The trip back to Ashley's room was much shorter than the one to the containment cells, and Andros undressed quickly, hoping to slip back into bed without waking Ashley, and to delay any explanations until the following morning, but as he wrapped his arms around her again, Ashley stirred slightly, yawning as her eyes fluttered open.

"Where'd you go?" she asked sleepily. Andros groaned inwardly, and sighed, stroking Ashley's soft brown hair with one hand as he debated over what to tell her.

"Ash," he said softly. "I need to tell you something."

"What's wrong?" Ashley asked, her eyes flooding with alarm as she sat up. The blankets tumbled down to her waist, and she wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. "Andros, what happened?"

"Arrow's dead," Andros told her quietly, sitting up as well. "Alana killed him."

"Dead?" Ashley repeated weakly, tears coming into her eyes as she started trembling. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Andros said softly, pulling her into his lap, rocking her back and forth in his arms as Ashley buried her face in his neck. "He'll never hurt you again, Ash, I promise... Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm all right," Ashley whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. Andros gently rubbed small circles on her back as she calmed down. Ashley suddenly shifted to face him, her arms around his neck as she kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you too, Ashley," Andros whispered, running his fingers through her hair as he kissed the scar on her cheek. "I love you so much."

Ashley rolled onto her back, pulling him with her as he continued to kiss her, his lips placing feather light kisses over every inch of her face. Ashley slipped her hands behind his head as she kissed him, just barely brushing her lips over his before she pulled back. She kissed him again, and pulled back again even more quickly, leaving Andros to keep recapturing her mouth every few seconds. It was driving him crazy, and she knew it, but she couldn't help it. Something didn't seem right, and she had to know what it was.

"Ash," he gasped hoarsely, pulling his head back as Ashley placed both of her hands on his shoulders, pushing him away enough to give her a good look at his eyes. "Stop doing that to me."

"Something's bothering you," Ashley said softly, running her fingers through his hair as it fell from his shoulders to tickle her cheeks.

"It's nothing," Andros muttered, his breathing slowing some. He looked away, and then it hit her.

"Andros, you didn't kill him, did you?"

"No," Andros assured her, running his thumb along her cheekbone. "Alana did."

"Then why do you feel guilty?"

"You've gotten good at telepathy," Andros remarked.

"Answer me," Ashley said softly. "Andros, what really happened?"

"Alana killed him," he said, not quite meeting her eye. "But I... I didn't do anything to stop her."

"So you just stood there and watched?" Ashley asked, her voice growing cooler.

"No," Andros muttered. "By the time I got there, he was already dead."

"Why didn't you stop her?"

"I didn't want to," he mumbled, his eyes anywhere but on her.

"Why not?" From the tone of Ashley's voice, Andros knew that she already knew, but she was going to make him say it anyway.

"Because every time I see him, I think of what he did to you," Andros admitted. "Every time I see you, some part of me keeps saying that it's my fault. I can't help it, Ash."

"Get off of me," Ashley cried suddenly, shoving him hard. Andros rolled off of her and sat up. "Just go away!"

"Ashley, I'm sorry," Andros whispered.

"Go away!" Ashley wailed. "You're just here because you feel guilty. You're not here because you want to be. You're not here because you love me."

"Ash, that's not true-"

"Yes, it is!" Ashley shouted. "If you didn't feel guilty, then you wouldn't think about it every time you saw me. You promised me you weren't staying with me because you felt guilty. You lied to me."

"Ashley, I'm not here because I feel guilty," he tried to say, but Ashley wasn't listening.

"Just go," she whispered, rolling onto her side, facing away from him. Andros dressed and left without another word, wondering how he could keep screwing up so badly when he loved her so much.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** Oh yeah, thanks for all your help with the last chapter. :P I thought all I promised you was that Ashley would kiss him and drive him crazy and then get mad at him. Oh well, it doesn't matter anymore. :P_

_**Juzblue:** Thank Marieke, that was her idea... as much as I wish it was mine. :P_

_**Mz. Daydream: **Because Andros is an idiot? I'm not quite sure why, either. _

_**JDPhoenix:** I know! I enjoy being sick and twisted, too:P_

_**C.C.C: **He's going to apologize, and Ashley's going to forgive him, since they now have a bigger problem._

_**Jenny:** Half the time Andros **is** an idiot. The other half of the time, I just write inconsistently, because he's supposed to be an idiot **all** the time. :P_

Chapter 22

Ashley did the best that she could to avoid Andros, but eventually, he found her. She was sitting on the floor of a small storage closet, huddled in a corner, making herself as small as possible. It was a good hiding place, but when the door opened and she saw him standing there, there was no other way out. She'd done her best not to see him at all, and it had worked quite well for the past two weeks. The only time that she'd seen him had been when they had sent Alana and Blaze back to their own dimension, and now that Andros was so close again, all Ashley wanted to do was break down and cry.

"Please don't hide from me," Andros begged her. "I just want to talk to you."

Ashley didn't answer, and Andros stood there, waiting for a reply. Finally, Ashley nodded her head. "Can I sit down?" he asked, just as softly. She nodded her head again, the motion so small Andros wondered if he hadn't imagined it. Ashley didn't look at him as he sat down beside her, although the space was so small that there was less than three inches between them. The light was dim, but enough for Andros to see that Ashley looked so fragile, sitting with her knees drawn up to her chin, and her arms wrapped around her knees.

"I'm so sorry," Andros said, keeping his eyes cast downward at the floor. "I'm sorry for whatever I've done to make you think that I stayed with you out of guilt. There's nothing that anyone could ever do to make me not love you, or to make me love you any less than I do now."

"I love you," Ashley whispered, the first words she'd spoken to him in two weeks.

He reached out to her, dropping his hand when she shrank back from his touch. Andros looked away, surprised to feel Ashley's arms around his neck a moment later.

Relieved, he pulled her into a fierce hug, holding her as close to him as was physically possible. Shaking with unshed tears, Ashley buried her face in his neck, feeling him rubbing small circles in her back, whispering softly to her, telling her that he loved her and that everything was going to be all right.

Andros said nothing when Ashley started sobbing, cradling her silently as she cried, feeling his heart aching for her, wishing that he could just take all her pain away. She'd been through too much already, most of it because of him. When Ashley managed to bring herself under control, several minutes of silence passed before she could work up the courage to say anything.

"Andros." She couldn't avoid it any longer; she had to tell him now. It would nearly kill her to lose him, but if that's what was going to happen, she might as well get it over with.

Ashley's voice was quiet, and there was something about the flat way that she spoke his name that told Andros that the nightmare was far from over. "What's wrong, Ash?" he asked, feeling the fear build up in his stomach.

The small space which had been ideal for hiding was now stifling. As the darkness became smothering, Ashley couldn't breathe, and struggled to her feet. She stumbled into the corridor, leaning her forehead against the bulkhead.

"Ash?" Andros grasped her arm as she began shaking again.

"Andros," Ashley said, her throat suddenly very dry. "Andros, I..." She choked on the words, unable to bring herself to say it. She swallowed, unable to look away as she said it. "I'm pregnant."

Her words hung in the air as Andros stared at her, his face completely void of emotion. Then, as her words registered, Ashley saw his eyes widen and fill with a mixture of fear and hope, the hope quickly replaced by sadness.

"How many weeks?" Andros asked, his voice choked.

"Six," Ashley whispered. "Andros, I don't know whose it is."

She saw Andros's eyes fill with tears that he let fall freely, making no effort at all to hold them back.

Ashley closed her eyes, her fear running too deep for tears. She was already too attatched to the unborn child to even consider killing it, and she knew that she didn't have it in her to give up the baby once it was born, if the father was Arrow. It was still her child, and no one was going to take it from her.

Then she felt Andros envelop her in his arms again, and she clung to him, afraid that if she let go of him for even an instant, he would be gone. Shaking, they held each other, his tears soaking her hair, each trying to work up the courage to say something to the other.

It couldn't possibly be his child, Andros thought sadly as he clung to Ashley. The baby couldn't be his, no matter how much he wished otherwise. Still, he just couldn't lose Ashley, and raising a child that had been forced on her was a small price to pay to spend the rest of his life with her.

"Marry me."

Ashley jerked back out of Andros's arms, staring up at him in shock. He looked stunned too, as if he hadn't meant to speak, but his hazel eyes bored into her own lovingly, and Ashley realized that the was serious.

"But Andros, the baby might not..." Ashley choked the words out, but found that she couldn't say it. "The baby probably isn't..."

"I don't care," Andros whispered fiercely . He raised one hand to her face, lightly caressing her scarred cheek, his hazel eyes bright with tears. "I love you, Ashley."

"But what if the baby isn't yours?" Ashley asked. "Won't you hate me?"

"I'd never hate you, Ash," Andros whispered.

"You did before," Ashley mumbled. It took Andros a moment to realize what Ashley was talking about, and suddenly, he hated himself more than he ever had before as he remembered his angry words to Ashley on that day months ago.

_"You don't love me. I don't love you. I could never love you. In fact, I hate you."_

"I've never been more wrong in my life," Andros said, wrapping his arms around her. "Ashley, I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Andros, I can't let you marry me." Ashley could feel her heart breaking, but she couldn't let him marry her and find out later that the child wasn't his.

"Ashley, I am begging you, don't leave me. I can't live without you."

He really was begging her; she could see it in his eyes. All traces of his stubborn pride were gone as he stood there with tears in his eyes, pleading with her to stay with him, and to let him raise a child that probably wasn't his. There was so much love in his gaze that it made her want to die, before he realized how unworthy of it she was.

"Why are you so good to me?" Ashley whispered. "Andros, I don't deserve you."

The look Andros gave her then was heartbreaking, his tears staining her cheeks as well as his own. "And I'll this time I've been thinking that I don't deserve you." He kissed the top of her head, stroking her hair with one hand. Thoughtfully, he added, "Maybe we deserve each other, Ash."

Ashley leaned into his embrace, suddenly able to cry, and tears poured silently out of her eyes as she stood, shaking, still caught in Andros's arms. As she buried her face in his shoulder, she felt him slip on arm beneath her knees as he lifted her up off of the ground.

He started walking, using his telepathy to soothe her, sending a great wave of calm through her troubled mind. Exhaustion and relief slowly took the place of lingering pain and fear, and she heard Andros speaking to her as if from a great distance. She didn't hear any of what he was saying, but knew without a doubt that he would repeat the words countless times.

Andros set her down carefully in her bed, and drew the blankets up over her. He kissed her forehead gently and settled down beside her, whispering in her ear, "Sleep now, Ash, and don't worry, I promise that I'll be here when you wake up."


	23. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Not mine

_**Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow:** Thanks. Hope you like the ending. I mean the part I didn't show you yesterday. :P_

_**Mz. Daydream: **I'm glad you liked it. I'd been waiting forever for Andros to say that they deserved each other, but he took his time figuring it out himself. :P_

_**JDPhoenix:** Hope you did okay on your test. :P You find out who Angel's father is in this chapter. _

_**Jenny:** Yes, I love writing mushy scenes, and I plan to keep writing them. :P_

_**RisingGundam2004:** Yup, Ashley got pregnant! Don't worry, you see who Angel's father is. _

_**C.C.C:** I'm glad you liked it. I loved writing the part where Andros was begging her not to leave him. I agree that it doesn't matter who Angel's father was. The important thing was that they loved each other, but if I don't tell, I'll be murdered by some very angry reviewers. :P_

_**DizneeDol:** Don't worry, you find out who Angel's father is in this chapter._

_**the-power-of-love:** Thanks, here's the end._

_**Mel:** Thanks, and don't worry that you didn't review. It's okay! People keep apologizing. You don't need to. Glad ya like :P Whatcha think of the story I sent you? But don't tell. lol_

Epilogue

Ashley woke, feeling the sun smiling down over her. It took her a moment to realize that she wasn't at home, in her bed. She was laying on her back on the ground, her head resting in someone's lap. Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was a pair of very familiar hazel eyes gazing down at her in amusement.

"I fell asleep?" she asked, sitting up. Andros laughed softly at her, and pulled her into his arms. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Do you really think I'd be so cruel as to deprive my pregnant wife of a few minutes of sleep?" he asked with a straight face. One hand gently brushed against her stomach, which would shelter their second child for another seven months. "Besides, I like watching you sleep."

Ashley stretched, and lay down again, settling back against him, a smile on her face. "Wait, if I've been sleeping, and you've been watching me sleep, who's been watching Angel?"

Andros laughed, and turned her head to the right. "Like mother, like daughter," he said, reaching out to stroke his daughter's soft brown hair with one hand. "She exhausted herself on the playground. She's been out for about twenty minutes now."

"How long was I asleep for?" Ashley asked, closing her eyes again as she relaxed.

"About an hour," Andros said. "What were you dreaming about?"

"How'd you know I was dreaming?" Ashley asked lazily, her eyes still closed, tempted to drift away again.

Andros touched her closed eyes gently. "Your eyelids kept fluttering," he said softly. "And you were smiling."

Without opening her eyes, Ashley knew that he was smiling down at her. She reached for the hand that was still resting gently on her face, running her thumb lightly over his wedding ring. "Do you remember telling me not to worry, because you'd always be there when I woke up?"

"Yeah," Andros said softly, squeezing her hand. "I do."

"I just realized that you always have been," Ashley said softly, opening her eyes to look up at him. "Thanks," she added, reaching up grab his other hand as well. Andros nodded his head sligthly and looked away.

"I was wondering if you knew," he said softly, and Ashley was surprised to see him blushing. "I just didn't want to say anything... in case you thought it was dumb..."

Ashley shook her head, reaching up to touch his face gently. "Andros, there's nothing that's ever meant more to me."

"Nothing?" Andros repeated softly. When she shook her head, Ashley saw his eyes flicker towards Angel, and then back to her. He nodded slowly, understanding.

Ashley sat up, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you," she whispered. Then to keep the moment from becoming too serious, she grinned, and said, "And Andros?"

He pulled back to look at her. "What?" he asked, just a hint of suspicion in his voice.

Ashley's grin widened mischievously. "You're really cute when you're embarrassed."

Ashley laughed as Andros turned an interesting shade of red. Despite himself, Andros felt a smile on his face, a smile that he couldn't quite manage to turn into a wounded expression. "You are pure evil, do you know that?"

Ashley laughed, and wrapped her arms around him again. "Talent, I guess," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. "Do you feel like going home now?"

"Let's go," Andros said. He reached over and shook his daughter gently. "Come on, Angel, Daddy will carry you home if you want."

"Not tired," Angel said, sitting up and yawning, rubbing sleep out of her bright hazel eyes. "I want to play on the swings."

"We'll come back later," Ashley promised, lifting her up so Andros could gather up the blanket they'd all been sitting on. "Stay where we can see you." She nodded, and when she set Angel down to help Andros, the little girl immediately ran off in the direction of the swings.

"Don't worry, I'll get her," Ashley said. She took off in the same direction that her daughter had, but the little girl wasn't on the swings. Looking around, she didn't see Angel anywhere. Beginning to feel anxious, she glanced around, and finally spotted her running in the opposite direction. Rolling her eyes, she took off after her daughter again, but Angel had had a head start, and it took her several minutes to catch up.

"Don't scare me like that," she scolded, scooping her daughter up in her arms. "You promised you wouldn't get out of my sight."

"But I thought I saw you, Mommy," Angel protested. "But it wasn't you."

Ashley frowned. Then she turned to look where her daughter was pointing, and she gaped in surprise as everything suddenly made sense. After a moment of stunned silence, an all-too-familiar voice said:

"Um, Andros? I think we're in the future."

_A/N:Whew, I'm done:P I hoped you liked both parts to Mirror, Mirror. I probably won't put anything else up until I finish Different Defenders... but don't worry, I've got something else that I'll put up after that. If you like the dark, angsty, and really, really depressing stories (like this one but worse), I'm almost positive you'll like that one. :P_

_And if you missed who Angel's father was, go back and read the part when she first wakes up. Please review._


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